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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: tear · bay · field · arm · current · pop · club · leaves

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. field — farmland
  3. current — of water
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. field — for sport
  6. pop — soda
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. current — electric
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. tear — from crying
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. club — a group
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. club — for golf
  17. tear — from crying
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. current — happening now
  20. tear — to rip
  21. pop — to visit
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. pop — music
  24. club — for dancing

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