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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: pitcher · current · mouse · cell · field · track · plane · pop

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. field — for sport
  3. pop — music
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. current — of water
  6. cell — in biology
  7. current — electric
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. field — farmland
  11. track — a path
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. track — to keep track
  14. track — a song
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. plane — a tool
  17. pop — to visit
  18. field — a subject
  19. cell — a phone
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. current — happening now
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. plane — in geometry

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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