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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 120 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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. current — electric
  3. dip — to sink
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. land — a country
  9. mate — to breed
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. bound — certain
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. current — of water
  14. land — to come down
  15. land — ground
  16. mate — a partner
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. field — for sport
  19. bound — tied together
  20. current — happening now
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. mate — a friend
  23. field — farmland
  24. bound — obliged

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