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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.

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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: mug · current · field · branch · hide · bay · nail · pit

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  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 — for sport
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. mug — a face
  5. branch — a division
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. current — of water
  13. current — happening now
  14. field — a subject
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. pit — a hole
  17. mug — to rob
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. current — electric
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. mug — a cup
  23. pit — in a race
  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