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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 116 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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. file — a document
  3. field — a subject
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. file — a line of people
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. stand — to bear
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. cue — a signal
  12. current — of water
  13. current — electric
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. field — farmland
  16. band — a ring
  17. field — for sport
  18. cue — a hint
  19. file — a tool
  20. current — happening now
  21. band — a music group
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. cue — for pool
  24. band — a rubber band

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