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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. saw — the tool
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. field — for sport
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. fine — all right
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. mark — a trace
  11. wind — moving air
  12. mark — a grade
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. scale — size or range
  15. wind — moving air
  16. scale — in music
  17. field — a subject
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. field — farmland
  22. fine — high quality
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. mark — to pay attention

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