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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. charge — electricity
  5. field — for sport
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. wind — moving air
  9. current — electric
  10. field — farmland
  11. current — of water
  12. charge — in control
  13. charge — a price
  14. rest — what's left
  15. wake — a trail
  16. last — to go on
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. rest — a break
  19. wind — moving air
  20. current — happening now
  21. field — a subject
  22. last — final
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. rest — what's left

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