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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 116 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: nail · rash · cap · stem · field · ball · race · craft

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. cap — of ice
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. cap — a hat
  6. rash — a series
  7. craft — a skill
  8. craft — boats
  9. cap — a lid
  10. stem — to come from
  11. rash — hasty
  12. race — humankind
  13. ball — a dance
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. field — farmland
  16. field — for sport
  17. race — the arms race
  18. ball — a great time
  19. race — a contest
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. craft — a handicraft

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