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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: foot · craft · fork · squash · prune · field · charge · game

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. field — a subject
  3. field — for sport
  4. foot — a measure
  5. game — wild animals
  6. squash — the sport
  7. charge — a price
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. field — farmland
  10. craft — boats
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. prune — to trim
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. craft — a skill
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. charge — in control
  19. squash — to crush
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. prune — to trim
  22. charge — electricity
  23. game — a match
  24. fork — in a road

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com