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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 · shower · craft · net · last · jam · bore · deal

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. last — finally
  3. bore — to tire
  4. deal — to handle
  5. craft — a skill
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. last — final
  8. net — for catching
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. field — farmland
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. shower — rain
  14. craft — boats
  15. last — to go on
  16. bore — to drill
  17. shower — to wash
  18. net — in sport
  19. field — a subject
  20. net — after costs
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. field — for sport
  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