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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. current — happening now
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. net — for catching
  6. object — to protest
  7. net — after costs
  8. bat — the animal
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. object — an aim
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. object — a thing
  13. net — in sport
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. field — farmland
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. field — for sport
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. current — of water
  22. current — electric
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. trunk — of a car

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