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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. deal — to handle
  3. field — farmland
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. hand — help
  6. current — electric
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. current — of water
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. hand — in cards
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. field — for sport
  14. kick — in football
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. wake — a trail
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. field — a subject
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. rush — hurry
  24. jam — a tight spot

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