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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. rule — government
  3. field — farmland
  4. field — for sport
  5. stem — to come from
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. current — electric
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. ground — a position
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. field — a subject
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. rule — a law
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. ground — crushed
  20. current — of water
  21. pass — a permit
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. ground — the earth

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