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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. charge — in control
  6. current — electric
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. fine — all right
  9. charge — a price
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. shower — to wash
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. field — a subject
  15. stand — to bear
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. current — happening now
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. current — of water
  21. field — for sport
  22. fine — high quality
  23. charge — electricity
  24. shower — rain

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