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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 124 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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. field — a subject
  3. can — to be able to
  4. current — of water
  5. field — for sport
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. present — the time now
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. present — a gift
  10. stock — goods
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. stock — shares
  13. wind — moving air
  14. field — farmland
  15. pass — a permit
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. present — there
  18. wind — moving air
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. current — happening now
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. current — electric
  23. can — a tin
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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