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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: craft · suit · ruler · pound · mine · mate · chip · field

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. craft — boats
  3. mate — a friend
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. suit — to fit
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. mate — to breed
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. chip — for betting
  10. suit — clothes
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. craft — a skill
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. pound — a weight
  16. field — for sport
  17. mate — a partner
  18. chip — to eat
  19. field — a subject
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. mine — for digging
  23. suit — in cards
  24. field — farmland

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