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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. bulb — for light
  3. current — happening now
  4. current — electric
  5. board — to get on
  6. bulb — for light
  7. ground — crushed
  8. field — a subject
  9. ground — the earth
  10. field — for sport
  11. craft — a skill
  12. net — in sport
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. craft — boats
  15. ground — a position
  16. current — of water
  17. net — after costs
  18. board — a committee
  19. staff — employees
  20. staff — employees
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. field — farmland
  23. staff — a stick
  24. craft — a handicraft

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