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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.

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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: craft · racket · field · vault · ruler · object · mine · fine

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. field — farmland
  3. mine — for digging
  4. object — to protest
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. field — a subject
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. fine — high quality
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. vault — a safe
  14. object — an aim
  15. field — for sport
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. craft — a skill
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. object — a thing
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. craft — boats
  23. fine — all right
  24. racket — for tennis

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