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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. current — happening now
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. field — a subject
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. field — for sport
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. current — electric
  12. field — farmland
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. deal — to handle
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. rock — music
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. current — of water
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. rock — a stone

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