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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. toast — bread
  5. current — electric
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. pass — a permit
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. swing — music
  12. current — of water
  13. mine — for digging
  14. swing — in golf
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. current — happening now
  17. field — farmland
  18. fall — to drop
  19. field — for sport
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. fall — to drop
  22. swing — to play on
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. field — a subject

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