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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. rock — a stone
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. current — happening now
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. field — farmland
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. rock — music
  11. current — of water
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. mine — for digging
  14. club — a group
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. club — for golf
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. swing — in golf
  19. swing — to play on
  20. field — for sport
  21. club — for dancing
  22. swing — music
  23. field — a subject
  24. mine — belonging to me

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