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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 120 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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. current — of water
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. charge — in control
  5. bear — the animal
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. current — happening now
  8. field — farmland
  9. spring — the season
  10. field — for sport
  11. pop — soda
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. spring — of water
  14. pop — music
  15. foot — a measure
  16. charge — electricity
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. rule — government
  20. rule — a law
  21. spring — a coil
  22. current — electric
  23. field — a subject
  24. charge — a price

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