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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 120 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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. present — the time now
  3. band — a ring
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. suit — to fit
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. current — electric
  9. field — a subject
  10. current — happening now
  11. firm — decided
  12. present — there
  13. suit — clothes
  14. firm — steady
  15. current — of water
  16. band — a music group
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. suit — in cards
  19. lean — thin
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. lean — to bend
  22. firm — a company
  23. present — a gift
  24. field — for sport

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