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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. field — for sport
  4. current — electric
  5. roll — a list
  6. net — for catching
  7. fine — high quality
  8. club — a group
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. fine — all right
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. object — an aim
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. club — for golf
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. current — of water
  17. field — farmland
  18. roll — a cake
  19. field — a subject
  20. net — after costs
  21. object — to protest
  22. object — a thing
  23. current — happening now
  24. club — for dancing

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