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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. field — for sport
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. craft — a skill
  7. bark — to shout
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. spring — a coil
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. spring — of water
  15. spring — the season
  16. field — farmland
  17. fork — in a road
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. craft — boats
  21. field — a subject
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. wave — of the sea

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