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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. current — electric
  3. plane — a tool
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. field — farmland
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. game — wild animals
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. root — of a plant
  15. field — for sport
  16. current — of water
  17. root — the cause
  18. season — of the year
  19. field — a subject
  20. root — of a word
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. game — a match
  23. current — happening now
  24. cabinet — ministers

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