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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. row — a line
  3. plane — a tool
  4. game — a match
  5. march — the month
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. field — farmland
  9. current — of water
  10. mate — to breed
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. current — happening now
  14. field — for sport
  15. march — the month
  16. game — wild animals
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. row — to paddle
  20. mate — a friend
  21. field — a subject
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. mate — a partner
  24. march — music

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