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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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. field — for sport
  3. current — happening now
  4. current — of water
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. kick — in football
  7. field — a subject
  8. pass — a permit
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. firm — decided
  12. fine — all right
  13. fine — high quality
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. bat — the animal
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. current — electric
  21. firm — steady
  22. firm — a company
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. mouse — the animal

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