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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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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: last · field · vault · tear · stand · net · current · pound

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. tear — to rip
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. current — electric
  5. tear — from crying
  6. net — for catching
  7. current — happening now
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. last — finally
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. last — final
  13. last — to go on
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. tear — from crying
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. current — of water
  18. net — after costs
  19. net — in sport
  20. stand — to bear
  21. field — farmland
  22. field — for sport
  23. vault — a safe
  24. pound — a weight

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