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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: mark · current · stand · game · spell · face · drill · swing

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. face — to confront
  3. current — of water
  4. swing — to play on
  5. spell — a short time
  6. current — happening now
  7. stand — to bear
  8. game — wild animals
  9. drill — army training
  10. drill — a practice
  11. current — electric
  12. swing — music
  13. swing — in golf
  14. face — part of the head
  15. game — a match
  16. mark — a trace
  17. spell — magic
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. face — to point toward
  20. mark — a grade
  21. drill — the tool
  22. spell — letters
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. mark — to pay attention

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