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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. land — a country
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. land — ground
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. current — happening now
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. bass — the fish
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. stand — to bear
  14. field — a subject
  15. bass — low music
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. field — farmland
  19. field — for sport
  20. land — to come down
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. current — of water
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. bowl — a dish

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