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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. field — a subject
  3. field — for sport
  4. swing — in golf
  5. current — electric
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. current — of water
  8. field — farmland
  9. bulb — for light
  10. current — happening now
  11. swing — music
  12. rest — a break
  13. degree — from a university
  14. mug — a cup
  15. rest — what's left
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. degree — temperature
  18. mug — to rob
  19. rest — what's left
  20. swing — to play on
  21. degree — an amount
  22. mug — a face
  23. bulb — for light
  24. rush — hurry

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