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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: jam · rash · lash · bowl · board · field · mine · prune

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. rash — a series
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. field — for sport
  12. board — to get on
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. prune — to trim
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. board — a committee
  19. mine — for digging
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. field — farmland
  22. rash — hasty
  23. prune — to trim
  24. board — a flat piece

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