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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. field — farmland
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. content — happy
  5. rash — a series
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. wake — a trail
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. field — a subject
  11. rash — hasty
  12. current — happening now
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. current — electric
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. field — for sport
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. content — the amount
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. current — of water
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. wake — before a funeral

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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