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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. fine — all right
  3. current — happening now
  4. field — a subject
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bear — the animal
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. current — of water
  11. field — for sport
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. pound — a weight
  15. branch — a division
  16. fine — high quality
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. current — electric
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. chair — a leader
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. field — farmland

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