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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. current — of water
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. current — electric
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. field — for sport
  7. row — a line
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. vault — a safe
  10. row — to paddle
  11. mark — a trace
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. fine — all right
  14. current — happening now
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. pitch — completely
  19. field — a subject
  20. mark — a grade
  21. fine — high quality
  22. snap — to click
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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