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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: ground · bound · rock · kid · rush · field · lean · current

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. kid — child
  5. field — for sport
  6. bound — certain
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. lean — thin
  9. ground — crushed
  10. current — electric
  11. ground — the earth
  12. lean — to bend
  13. rush — hurry
  14. bound — tied together
  15. current — happening now
  16. ground — a position
  17. kid — to tease
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. rock — music
  20. rock — a stone
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. current — of water
  23. bound — obliged
  24. field — farmland

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