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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. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. current — of water
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. mug — a face
  6. mug — a cup
  7. current — happening now
  8. snap — to click
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. tube — the underground
  13. field — for sport
  14. current — electric
  15. firm — steady
  16. field — farmland
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. mug — to rob
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. firm — a company
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. firm — decided
  24. tube — a container

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