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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 120 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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. field — for sport
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. track — to keep track
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. craft — boats
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. craft — a skill
  12. track — a song
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. field — farmland
  17. track — a path
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. chip — to eat
  20. fine — high quality
  21. chip — for betting
  22. bat — the animal
  23. fine — all right
  24. bat — in an idiom

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