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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. deal — to handle
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. swing — in golf
  6. root — the cause
  7. field — farmland
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. swing — to play on
  10. root — of a word
  11. field — for sport
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. field — a subject
  17. sharp — clever
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. current — happening now
  20. swing — music
  21. root — of a plant
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. current — of water

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