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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. current — of water
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. field — for sport
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. field — a subject
  9. current — electric
  10. rest — what's left
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. plane — a tool
  13. rest — what's left
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. field — farmland
  17. last — finally
  18. last — to go on
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. current — happening now
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. last — final
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. coach — a trainer

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