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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: sharp · spring · bay · ball · field · current · saw · bound

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. spring — of water
  4. field — for sport
  5. ball — a great time
  6. current — of water
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. spring — a coil
  9. saw — the tool
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. saw — the tool
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. bound — certain
  15. bound — obliged
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. ball — a dance
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. current — happening now
  20. sharp — clever
  21. field — farmland
  22. bound — tied together
  23. field — a subject
  24. current — electric

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