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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 120 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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. field — farmland
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. mate — a partner
  6. charge — electricity
  7. charge — in control
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. current — of water
  10. mate — a friend
  11. mate — to breed
  12. current — happening now
  13. board — to get on
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. board — a committee
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. rush — hurry
  18. present — there
  19. present — the time now
  20. field — for sport
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. charge — a price
  23. present — a gift
  24. current — electric

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