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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 120 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: rest · last · net · current · rock · march · field · object

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. net — for catching
  3. net — after costs
  4. rock — music
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. rest — what's left
  7. last — to go on
  8. object — to protest
  9. field — a subject
  10. last — final
  11. object — an aim
  12. current — happening now
  13. rock — a stone
  14. last — finally
  15. object — a thing
  16. current — electric
  17. rest — what's left
  18. rest — a break
  19. net — in sport
  20. field — farmland
  21. march — the month
  22. current — of water
  23. march — music
  24. field — for sport

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