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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
468
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: hide · present · mine · stick · jam · current · ground · field

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. current — of water
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. current — happening now
  9. present — the time now
  10. field — for sport
  11. ground — a position
  12. present — a gift
  13. present — there
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. current — electric
  16. ground — crushed
  17. mine — for digging
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. field — farmland
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. field — a subject

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