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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: pound · ground · swing · object · current · field · wind · drill

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. wind — moving air
  3. current — electric
  4. pound — a weight
  5. object — an aim
  6. object — a thing
  7. current — of water
  8. swing — in golf
  9. field — a subject
  10. drill — the tool
  11. drill — army training
  12. current — happening now
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. swing — music
  15. field — for sport
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. drill — a practice
  18. swing — to play on
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. ground — the earth
  21. wind — moving air
  22. ground — crushed
  23. object — to protest
  24. field — farmland

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