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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: field · pitcher · pound · roll · bore · wave · stand · current

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. current — of water
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. bore — to tire
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. pound — a weight
  7. field — a subject
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. stand — to bear
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. field — farmland
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. roll — a cake
  16. field — for sport
  17. roll — a list
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. current — happening now
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. bore — to drill

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