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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. charge — electricity
  3. track — a song
  4. current — of water
  5. current — happening now
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. field — farmland
  8. ground — a position
  9. wax — to grow
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. track — to keep track
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. track — a path
  14. charge — in control
  15. charge — a price
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. stem — to come from
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. field — a subject
  21. current — electric
  22. ground — crushed
  23. field — for sport
  24. patient — a sick person

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