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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. current — happening now
  3. field — a subject
  4. charge — in control
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. field — for sport
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. bark — to shout
  10. shower — to wash
  11. dip — to sink
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. wind — moving air
  17. field — farmland
  18. wind — moving air
  19. current — of water
  20. charge — a price
  21. charge — electricity
  22. shower — rain
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. safe — out of danger

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