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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: saw · mug · field · board · mine · nail · calf · squash

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. mug — to rob
  4. board — a committee
  5. board — to get on
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. squash — to crush
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. saw — the tool
  14. mug — a cup
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. field — a subject
  17. field — for sport
  18. field — farmland
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. saw — the tool
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. mug — a face
  23. mine — for digging
  24. squash — the sport

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