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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 · cap · field · bowl · foot · hide · pound · mine

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. pound — a weight
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. cap — a hat
  7. cap — of ice
  8. mine — for digging
  9. field — farmland
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. field — for sport
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. cap — a lid
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. foot — a measure
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. field — a subject
  22. craft — boats
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. hide — animal skin

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