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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: jam · bulb · current · pass · ball · stick · field · wound

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. pass — a permit
  4. bulb — for light
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. field — for sport
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. current — electric
  12. field — farmland
  13. ball — a dance
  14. current — happening now
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. wound — an injury
  18. wound — an injury
  19. current — of water
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. ball — a great time
  24. bulb — for light

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