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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: bay · degree · field · fine · ground · bear · current · bore

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. fine — high quality
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bore — to drill
  5. field — farmland
  6. fine — all right
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. ground — the earth
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. degree — an amount
  11. bore — to tire
  12. field — a subject
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. degree — from a university
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. current — electric
  17. degree — temperature
  18. bear — the animal
  19. ground — a position
  20. ground — crushed
  21. current — happening now
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. field — for sport
  24. bore — gave birth

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