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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. suit — in cards
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. field — farmland
  5. last — finally
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. last — to go on
  8. rush — hurry
  9. can — a tin
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. current — of water
  12. fine — high quality
  13. suit — to fit
  14. field — for sport
  15. current — happening now
  16. current — electric
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. fine — all right
  19. pitch — completely
  20. suit — clothes
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. last — final
  23. field — a subject
  24. can — a tin

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