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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 124 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 teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. field — a subject
  3. current — happening now
  4. can — a tin
  5. rest — what's left
  6. current — electric
  7. dip — to sink
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. can — to be able to
  10. current — of water
  11. ground — crushed
  12. rest — a break
  13. can — a tin
  14. roll — a cake
  15. ground — a position
  16. ground — the earth
  17. field — for sport
  18. rush — hurry
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. rest — what's left
  22. field — farmland
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. dip — a sauce

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