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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: spring · pound · rock · nail · bay · tube · field · arm

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. rock — a stone
  7. field — a subject
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. pound — a weight
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. spring — of water
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. field — for sport
  18. spring — a coil
  19. tube — a container
  20. field — farmland
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. rock — music
  23. tube — the underground
  24. spring — the season

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