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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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. field — farmland
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. current — happening now
  5. charge — a price
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. charge — electricity
  9. suit — clothes
  10. spring — a coil
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. current — electric
  13. suit — in cards
  14. current — of water
  15. content — happy
  16. field — a subject
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. content — the amount
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. spring — of water
  21. field — for sport
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. charge — in control
  24. suit — to fit

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