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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. plane — a tool
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. current — electric
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. field — farmland
  9. field — for sport
  10. bank — for money
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. bass — low music
  13. current — of water
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. bank — of a river
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. field — a subject
  20. current — happening now
  21. rush — hurry
  22. bank — for money
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. bass — the fish

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