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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
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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: current · fine · spell · cabinet · ground · field · face · swing

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. face — part of the head
  5. ground — the earth
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. spell — magic
  8. swing — to play on
  9. fine — high quality
  10. face — to confront
  11. current — electric
  12. field — a subject
  13. swing — in golf
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. ground — a position
  16. face — to point toward
  17. spell — letters
  18. current — happening now
  19. field — farmland
  20. spell — a short time
  21. field — for sport
  22. swing — music
  23. ground — crushed
  24. fine — all right

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