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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 120 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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. current — happening now
  3. chest — of your body
  4. ground — the earth
  5. ground — a position
  6. sharp — clever
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. ground — crushed
  9. suit — in cards
  10. field — for sport
  11. rash — hasty
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. current — of water
  15. rash — a series
  16. suit — clothes
  17. field — farmland
  18. bear — the animal
  19. chest — a box
  20. suit — to fit
  21. field — a subject
  22. current — electric
  23. chest — of your body
  24. bear — the animal

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