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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. can — a tin
  3. spring — of water
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. bulb — for light
  7. rock — music
  8. spring — the season
  9. can — to be able to
  10. rock — a stone
  11. field — farmland
  12. field — for sport
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. craft — boats
  15. field — a subject
  16. spring — a coil
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. bulb — for light
  19. band — a ring
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. can — a tin
  22. band — a music group
  23. craft — a skill
  24. nail — for a hammer

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