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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 116 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 rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. suit — in cards
  3. rock — a stone
  4. pound — a weight
  5. mug — a face
  6. suit — clothes
  7. field — for sport
  8. rock — music
  9. mug — to rob
  10. season — in sport
  11. craft — a skill
  12. mug — a cup
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. suit — to fit
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. season — of the year
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. field — farmland
  19. file — a line of people
  20. field — a subject
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. craft — boats
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. file — a document

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