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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. current — electric
  3. spring — a coil
  4. mark — a grade
  5. current — of water
  6. field — farmland
  7. mark — a trace
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. wake — a trail
  10. spring — the season
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. spring — of water
  17. pass — a permit
  18. current — happening now
  19. field — for sport
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. field — a subject

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