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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: craft · stock · trunk · lash · field · ball · present · fork

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. fork — in a road
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. ball — a dance
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. field — a subject
  11. present — there
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. present — the time now
  15. present — a gift
  16. craft — a skill
  17. field — farmland
  18. stock — shares
  19. field — for sport
  20. stock — goods
  21. ball — a great time
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. craft — boats
  24. fork — to eat with

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