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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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. field — for sport
  4. key — for a lock
  5. field — a subject
  6. current — electric
  7. key — in music
  8. bore — to tire
  9. firm — decided
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. perch — the fish
  13. current — happening now
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. key — the most important part
  16. current — of water
  17. firm — a company
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. stock — shares
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. bore — to drill
  23. stock — goods
  24. firm — steady

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