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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: rash · field · calf · mate · pitch · craft · rule · present

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. field — farmland
  3. craft — a skill
  4. field — for sport
  5. field — a subject
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. mate — a friend
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. mate — to breed
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. present — a gift
  14. pitch — completely
  15. craft — boats
  16. present — the time now
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. mate — a partner
  20. rule — government
  21. rash — a series
  22. rash — hasty
  23. rule — a law
  24. present — there

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