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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mouse · rash · mug · rest · field · rock · nail · ground

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. field — for sport
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. rock — a stone
  8. field — farmland
  9. field — a subject
  10. mug — a cup
  11. rash — hasty
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. rest — what's left
  14. mug — to rob
  15. rash — a series
  16. ground — a position
  17. rock — music
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. ground — crushed
  22. rest — a break
  23. ground — the earth
  24. rest — what's left

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