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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: pit · mine · coach · current · field · craft · degree · nail

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. current — electric
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. degree — an amount
  6. field — for sport
  7. pit — a hole
  8. craft — boats
  9. degree — temperature
  10. current — of water
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. current — happening now
  13. field — farmland
  14. mine — for digging
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. degree — from a university
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. pit — in a race
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. field — a subject
  22. craft — a skill
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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