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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. row — to paddle
  4. saw — the tool
  5. current — happening now
  6. field — a subject
  7. season — of the year
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. season — in sport
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. current — electric
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. row — a line
  18. field — for sport
  19. saw — the tool
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bulb — for light
  22. field — farmland
  23. current — of water
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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