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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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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: pit · cap · cell · arm · roll · craft · field · branch

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. pit — in a race
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. pit — a hole
  8. field — a subject
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. craft — boats
  11. branch — a division
  12. cell — in biology
  13. field — farmland
  14. cap — a hat
  15. craft — a skill
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. roll — a list
  18. cap — a lid
  19. cell — a phone
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. cap — of ice
  24. roll — a cake

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