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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 works in a ________________ mill.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. sharp — clever
  3. current — of water
  4. field — farmland
  5. game — wild animals
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. current — happening now
  9. field — for sport
  10. bank — for money
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. bank — for money
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. current — electric
  17. rock — music
  18. field — a subject
  19. game — a match
  20. saw — the tool
  21. rock — a stone
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. bank — of a river
  24. ruler — for measuring

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