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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
468
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: mouse · nail · bark · fall · fine · rock · foot · field

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. rock — music
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. field — a subject
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. field — farmland
  10. bark — to shout
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. fall — to drop
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. rock — a stone
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. fine — all right
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. fine — high quality
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. fall — to drop
  22. foot — a measure
  23. field — for sport
  24. fall — the season

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