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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: bass · last · current · hide · vault · arm · court · field

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. current — electric
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. vault — a safe
  5. current — of water
  6. bass — low music
  7. field — farmland
  8. last — to go on
  9. last — finally
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. court — for sport
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. court — of a king
  18. field — for sport
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. court — of law
  21. current — happening now
  22. bass — the fish
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. last — final

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