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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  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. can — to be able to
  2. field — for sport
  3. current — happening now
  4. current — electric
  5. squash — to crush
  6. object — an aim
  7. current — of water
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. track — to keep track
  10. track — a song
  11. can — a tin
  12. track — a path
  13. can — a tin
  14. bound — obliged
  15. bound — certain
  16. object — to protest
  17. cell — a phone
  18. bound — tied together
  19. object — a thing
  20. cell — in biology
  21. field — farmland
  22. field — a subject
  23. squash — the vegetable
  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