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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  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. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. wound — an injury
  3. rock — a stone
  4. field — for sport
  5. cell — a phone
  6. rock — music
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. wound — an injury
  9. current — happening now
  10. field — farmland
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. root — the cause
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. current — electric
  15. root — of a plant
  16. cell — in biology
  17. root — of a word
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. current — of water
  20. chair — a leader
  21. season — of the year
  22. season — in sport
  23. chair — a professorship
  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