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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 124 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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  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. plane — a tool
  2. current — happening now
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. field — a subject
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. current — electric
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. march — music
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. march — the month
  12. last — to go on
  13. last — finally
  14. rash — a series
  15. dip — to sink
  16. rash — hasty
  17. march — the month
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. field — for sport
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. last — final
  23. field — farmland
  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