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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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. pound — a weight
  3. wound — an injury
  4. current — of water
  5. field — a subject
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. press — to push
  10. press — newspapers
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. current — happening now
  14. field — for sport
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. current — electric
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. press — a publisher
  20. snap — to click
  21. wound — an injury
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. bore — to drill
  24. bore — to tire

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