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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. current — of water
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. spring — of water
  6. last — finally
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. cap — a hat
  10. last — final
  11. spring — a coil
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. mark — a grade
  14. field — a subject
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. cap — of ice
  17. current — happening now
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. mark — a trace
  20. field — farmland
  21. cap — a lid
  22. field — for sport
  23. last — to go on
  24. spring — the season

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