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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: craft · lash · mouse · mine · rule · field · land · pound

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. field — a subject
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. rule — government
  8. land — ground
  9. craft — a skill
  10. land — to come down
  11. field — farmland
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. land — a country
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. field — for sport
  19. rule — a law
  20. mine — for digging
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. craft — boats
  24. pound — a weight

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