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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. current — electric
  3. band — a ring
  4. current — happening now
  5. field — for sport
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. ground — the earth
  9. firm — decided
  10. field — a subject
  11. scale — size or range
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. firm — steady
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. ground — a position
  18. band — a music group
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. current — of water
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. firm — a company
  23. ground — crushed
  24. field — farmland

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