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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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. charge — in control
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. bass — the fish
  5. mark — a trace
  6. saw — the tool
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. rush — hurry
  12. charge — a price
  13. current — electric
  14. saw — the tool
  15. charge — electricity
  16. dip — to sink
  17. field — a subject
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. current — happening now
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. current — of water
  22. mark — a grade
  23. field — farmland
  24. bass — low music

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