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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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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: cue · last · ground · net · snap · current · deal · field

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. deal — to handle
  3. last — finally
  4. cue — a signal
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. last — to go on
  7. ground — a position
  8. cue — for pool
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. current — electric
  11. net — in sport
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. ground — the earth
  14. ground — crushed
  15. field — for sport
  16. current — happening now
  17. field — a subject
  18. net — for catching
  19. snap — to click
  20. cue — a hint
  21. field — farmland
  22. last — final
  23. net — after costs
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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