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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 116 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: wind · present · stick · coach · ball · bear · field · current

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. wind — moving air
  3. current — happening now
  4. bear — the animal
  5. field — for sport
  6. present — the time now
  7. current — of water
  8. field — a subject
  9. present — there
  10. present — a gift
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. current — electric
  14. wind — moving air
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. ball — a great time
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. bear — the animal
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. ball — a dance
  24. field — farmland

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