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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. fine — all right
  3. bound — certain
  4. bound — tied together
  5. field — farmland
  6. mark — a grade
  7. mark — a trace
  8. stand — to bear
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. current — of water
  12. field — for sport
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. current — happening now
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. fine — high quality
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. field — a subject
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. bound — obliged
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. lie — to recline

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