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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: bear · current · field · saw · swing · kick · rock · leaves

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. current — electric
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. swing — to play on
  5. bear — the animal
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. field — a subject
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. saw — the tool
  10. current — happening now
  11. rock — a stone
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. kick — in football
  14. rock — music
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. swing — in golf
  17. field — farmland
  18. current — of water
  19. bear — the animal
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. saw — the tool
  22. field — for sport
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. bear — to put up with

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