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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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. field — a subject
  3. rock — a stone
  4. field — for sport
  5. cap — a hat
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. cap — of ice
  10. pitch — completely
  11. current — happening now
  12. current — electric
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. sharp — clever
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. rock — music
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. current — of water
  22. cap — a lid
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. pitch — a sports field

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