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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. field — for sport
  4. field — farmland
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. current — of water
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. pitch — completely
  11. current — electric
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. spring — of water
  14. wake — a trail
  15. field — a subject
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. spring — a coil
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. spring — the season
  24. ruler — for measuring

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