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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 116 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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. mate — to breed
  4. field — for sport
  5. current — electric
  6. march — the month
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. field — farmland
  9. pitch — completely
  10. lie — to recline
  11. mate — a partner
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. ball — a dance
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. mate — a friend
  17. march — music
  18. field — a subject
  19. stand — to bear
  20. march — the month
  21. current — happening now
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. ball — a great time
  24. ball — a round shape

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