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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: saw · jam · mug · field · lash · scale · fall · fine

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. field — for sport
  3. field — a subject
  4. mug — a cup
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. fall — to drop
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. field — farmland
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. scale — in music
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. fine — all right
  14. fine — high quality
  15. saw — the tool
  16. fall — to drop
  17. mug — a face
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. saw — the tool
  20. fall — the season
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. mug — to rob

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