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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  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. racket — for tennis
  2. squash — to crush
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. squash — the sport
  5. current — happening now
  6. field — for sport
  7. current — of water
  8. suit — in cards
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. wound — an injury
  11. stand — to bear
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. suit — clothes
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. field — farmland
  18. current — electric
  19. suit — to fit
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. wound — an injury
  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