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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: drill · swing · current · saw · season · field · ball · rash

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  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. current — happening now
  2. saw — the tool
  3. rash — hasty
  4. current — electric
  5. swing — music
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. saw — the tool
  8. season — of the year
  9. field — a subject
  10. current — of water
  11. ball — a great time
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. field — farmland
  14. swing — in golf
  15. season — in sport
  16. drill — the tool
  17. swing — to play on
  18. rash — a series
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. ball — a dance
  21. drill — army training
  22. drill — a practice
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. field — for sport

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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