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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 · swing · rush · ruler · current · fine · fork · hand

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. field — a subject
  3. current — happening now
  4. current — of water
  5. hand — in cards
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. rush — hurry
  8. fork — in a road
  9. swing — to play on
  10. fine — all right
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. fine — high quality
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. hand — help
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. current — electric
  20. swing — music
  21. swing — in golf
  22. field — for sport
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. rush — to hurry

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