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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 120 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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. bank — for money
  3. bear — the animal
  4. tube — the underground
  5. tube — a container
  6. mark — a grade
  7. field — for sport
  8. board — to get on
  9. bank — for money
  10. current — of water
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. chest — of your body
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. current — electric
  16. mark — a trace
  17. chest — a box
  18. board — a committee
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bank — of a river
  22. chest — of your body
  23. field — a subject
  24. field — farmland

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