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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: sharp · current · cabinet · wave · field · toast · file · bowl

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. current — of water
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. toast — bread
  8. sharp — clever
  9. current — electric
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. file — a document
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. file — a line of people
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. field — for sport
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. field — a subject
  19. current — happening now
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. file — a tool
  24. cabinet — ministers

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