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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. pound — a weight
  3. fine — all right
  4. saw — the tool
  5. field — for sport
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. rash — hasty
  8. board — to get on
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. board — a committee
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. saw — the tool
  18. fine — high quality
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. field — farmland
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. field — a subject
  24. mouse — for a computer

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