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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: stand · land · jam · mouse · craft · field · row · object

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. craft — a skill
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. row — a line
  9. row — to paddle
  10. object — a thing
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. land — ground
  14. land — a country
  15. field — farmland
  16. field — a subject
  17. object — to protest
  18. land — to come down
  19. field — for sport
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. object — an aim
  23. craft — boats
  24. stand — to bear

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