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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
468
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: mouse · craft · mark · rock · field · clip · nail · rule

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  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. field — a subject
  2. rule — government
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. craft — a skill
  5. clip — a video
  6. rock — a stone
  7. rule — a law
  8. rock — music
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. mark — a trace
  11. clip — for paper
  12. field — farmland
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. mark — a grade
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. field — for sport
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. craft — boats
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. clip — to cut
  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