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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 ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. field — a subject
  3. current — of water
  4. charge — in control
  5. press — to push
  6. spell — magic
  7. current — happening now
  8. ground — crushed
  9. field — farmland
  10. press — newspapers
  11. press — a publisher
  12. ground — a position
  13. lean — to bend
  14. spell — letters
  15. spell — a short time
  16. charge — a price
  17. lean — thin
  18. current — electric
  19. kid — child
  20. charge — electricity
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. kid — to tease
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. field — for sport

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