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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 124 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 stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. current — of water
  3. fine — all right
  4. current — happening now
  5. field — a subject
  6. field — farmland
  7. pop — soda
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. pop — to visit
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. pop — music
  18. fine — high quality
  19. rush — hurry
  20. kick — in football
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. current — electric
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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