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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 is an ace ________________.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. field — a subject
  4. fall — to drop
  5. fall — to drop
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. march — the month
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. field — for sport
  10. saw — the tool
  11. mark — a trace
  12. current — electric
  13. mark — a grade
  14. field — farmland
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. current — happening now
  17. fall — the season
  18. march — the month
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. march — music
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. current — of water

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