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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pit · field · bank · mark · bulb · current · cell · hide

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bank — for money
  3. mark — a grade
  4. pit — a hole
  5. bulb — for light
  6. pit — in a race
  7. field — farmland
  8. cell — in biology
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. current — electric
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. current — of water
  14. field — for sport
  15. field — a subject
  16. bank — of a river
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. bulb — for light
  20. cell — a phone
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. current — happening now
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. mark — a trace

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