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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 120 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: object · rock · racket · pop · mark · lash · nail · field

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. pop — to visit
  4. mark — a trace
  5. field — farmland
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. mark — a grade
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. pop — music
  10. pop — soda
  11. rock — music
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. object — a thing
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. object — to protest
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. field — for sport
  23. rock — a stone
  24. object — an aim

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