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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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. current — electric
  3. net — in sport
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. field — farmland
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. field — a subject
  9. net — for catching
  10. firm — a company
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. current — of water
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. firm — steady
  16. firm — decided
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. current — happening now
  19. stand — to bear
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. net — after costs
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. pass — a permit
  24. pass — to spend time

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