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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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. field — a subject
  3. bore — to tire
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. can — to be able to
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. rest — what's left
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. rest — what's left
  12. can — a tin
  13. bore — to drill
  14. field — for sport
  15. rest — a break
  16. can — a tin
  17. craft — boats
  18. wound — an injury
  19. wound — an injury
  20. tube — the underground
  21. craft — a skill
  22. tube — a container
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. craft — a handicraft

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