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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: staff · ruler · ball · bear · pitch · current · net · field

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. ball — a dance
  3. bear — the animal
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. field — farmland
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. staff — a stick
  10. net — after costs
  11. staff — employees
  12. staff — employees
  13. bear — the animal
  14. net — in sport
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. field — for sport
  17. pitch — completely
  18. field — a subject
  19. ball — a great time
  20. net — for catching
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. current — electric
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. current — of water

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