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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: band · date · bear · ruler · saw · current · present · field

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. current — electric
  3. field — for sport
  4. present — a gift
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. saw — the tool
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. bear — the animal
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. band — a ring
  11. bear — the animal
  12. present — there
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. band — a music group
  18. present — the time now
  19. field — a subject
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. date — the fruit
  22. saw — the tool
  23. current — of water
  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