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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 120 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: tube · craft · mug · field · kick · ruler · nail · stock

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. stock — goods
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. field — for sport
  5. craft — a skill
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. mug — a face
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. kick — in football
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. mug — a cup
  16. mug — to rob
  17. field — farmland
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. craft — boats
  20. stock — shares
  21. field — a subject
  22. tube — a container
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. tube — the underground

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