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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. current — happening now
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. clip — a video
  5. drill — army training
  6. fall — the season
  7. key — in music
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. current — of water
  10. current — electric
  11. clip — to cut
  12. field — farmland
  13. drill — a practice
  14. fall — to drop
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. field — for sport
  18. drill — the tool
  19. fall — to drop
  20. stand — to bear
  21. clip — for paper
  22. key — the most important part
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. key — for a lock

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