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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. game — wild animals
  3. suit — to fit
  4. face — to confront
  5. last — final
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. current — of water
  8. game — a match
  9. last — to go on
  10. current — electric
  11. suit — clothes
  12. suit — in cards
  13. ground — a position
  14. ground — crushed
  15. face — to point toward
  16. field — farmland
  17. field — for sport
  18. current — happening now
  19. mug — a cup
  20. mug — a face
  21. last — finally
  22. mug — to rob
  23. field — a subject
  24. face — part of the head

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