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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
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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: field · pound · craft · mate · nail · wave · track · land

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. pound — a weight
  3. field — farmland
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. track — to keep track
  8. land — a country
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. field — for sport
  11. track — a path
  12. craft — boats
  13. mate — a partner
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. craft — a skill
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. track — a song
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. mate — a friend
  21. land — ground
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. field — a subject
  24. mate — to breed

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