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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. current — electric
  3. can — to be able to
  4. current — happening now
  5. kid — to tease
  6. field — for sport
  7. board — a committee
  8. can — a tin
  9. deal — to handle
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. degree — from a university
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. field — a subject
  18. current — of water
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. degree — an amount
  21. kid — child
  22. can — a tin
  23. board — to get on
  24. degree — temperature

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