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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: field · nail · mark · bark · temple · bay · jam · craft

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. field — a subject
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. craft — boats
  9. mark — a grade
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. bark — to shout
  16. craft — a skill
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. field — farmland
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. field — for sport
  23. mark — a trace
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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