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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 120 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 ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. current — of water
  4. cue — for pool
  5. rash — a series
  6. field — a subject
  7. ground — crushed
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. ground — a position
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. branch — a division
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. plane — a tool
  15. field — for sport
  16. current — happening now
  17. cue — a hint
  18. cue — a signal
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. field — farmland
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. current — electric
  24. rash — hasty

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