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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. firm — decided
  3. cap — a lid
  4. cap — a hat
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. firm — a company
  7. mate — a partner
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. current — of water
  10. mate — a friend
  11. firm — steady
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. pitch — completely
  14. field — for sport
  15. current — electric
  16. stand — to bear
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. shower — to wash
  19. cap — of ice
  20. field — farmland
  21. mate — to breed
  22. shower — rain
  23. current — happening now
  24. pitch — a sports field

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