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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 120 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
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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: net · track · pitch · current · field · shower · rock · land

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. current — electric
  3. track — to keep track
  4. pitch — completely
  5. field — a subject
  6. rock — a stone
  7. net — in sport
  8. track — a path
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. shower — to wash
  12. land — ground
  13. current — happening now
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. rock — music
  16. net — for catching
  17. land — a country
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. track — a song
  20. field — for sport
  21. field — farmland
  22. land — to come down
  23. net — after costs
  24. shower — rain

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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