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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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. current — electric
  3. current — happening now
  4. wake — a trail
  5. tube — the underground
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. can — a tin
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. can — a tin
  11. can — to be able to
  12. ball — a great time
  13. field — a subject
  14. saw — the tool
  15. plane — a tool
  16. saw — the tool
  17. field — for sport
  18. ball — a dance
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. tube — a container
  24. current — of water

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