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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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. field — farmland
  3. rest — what's left
  4. field — a subject
  5. rest — a break
  6. saw — the tool
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. pop — soda
  15. foot — a measure
  16. rest — what's left
  17. pop — music
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. tear — to rip
  20. tear — from crying
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. pop — to visit
  23. saw — the tool
  24. tear — from crying

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