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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. field — a subject
  4. club — for golf
  5. last — finally
  6. field — for sport
  7. saw — the tool
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. saw — the tool
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. fall — to drop
  13. fall — to drop
  14. mark — a trace
  15. fall — the season
  16. field — farmland
  17. last — final
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. last — to go on
  21. club — a group
  22. club — for dancing
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. nail — for a hammer

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