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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: scale · mouse · roll · mug · nail · race · craft · field

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. scale — size or range
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. craft — a skill
  5. field — for sport
  6. scale — in music
  7. mug — a face
  8. mug — to rob
  9. mug — a cup
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. field — a subject
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. race — the arms race
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. roll — a list
  20. roll — a cake
  21. craft — boats
  22. race — humankind
  23. field — farmland
  24. mouse — the animal

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