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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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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: mark · ball · current · face · last · field · pass · cabinet

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. last — finally
  5. field — farmland
  6. field — a subject
  7. last — final
  8. mark — a trace
  9. mark — a grade
  10. face — to confront
  11. face — part of the head
  12. ball — a great time
  13. field — for sport
  14. ball — a dance
  15. current — electric
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. last — to go on
  19. pass — a permit
  20. face — to point toward
  21. current — of water
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. current — happening now

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