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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. current — of water
  5. race — the arms race
  6. field — farmland
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. race — humankind
  10. field — a subject
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. current — happening now
  13. season — of the year
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. season — in sport
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. field — for sport
  19. race — a contest
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. snap — to click
  24. hide — to keep secret

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