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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: current · season · band · pound · craft · field · last · nail

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. band — a music group
  3. current — electric
  4. last — to go on
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. pound — a weight
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. last — finally
  9. last — final
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. field — a subject
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. season — of the year
  14. band — a ring
  15. current — of water
  16. current — happening now
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. field — farmland
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. season — in sport
  23. field — for sport
  24. craft — boats

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