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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. file — a line of people
  3. pound — a weight
  4. plane — a tool
  5. field — farmland
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. club — for golf
  9. craft — boats
  10. craft — a skill
  11. lie — to recline
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. field — for sport
  15. bore — to tire
  16. file — a document
  17. bore — to drill
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. club — for dancing
  21. file — a tool
  22. club — a group
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. lie — an untruth

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