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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: deal · rash · current · band · rule · calf · straw · field

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. field — for sport
  3. current — of water
  4. deal — to handle
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. rule — a law
  8. current — electric
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. band — a music group
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. band — a ring
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. rash — hasty
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. field — farmland
  21. field — a subject
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. rule — government
  24. rash — a series

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