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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. current — electric
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. face — to point toward
  5. field — for sport
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. current — of water
  8. face — part of the head
  9. field — farmland
  10. game — wild animals
  11. bank — for money
  12. game — a match
  13. ground — the earth
  14. track — a song
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. face — to confront
  17. bank — of a river
  18. track — a path
  19. stem — to come from
  20. ground — a position
  21. ground — crushed
  22. field — a subject
  23. bank — for money
  24. track — to keep track

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