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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: field · rush · current · season · dip · rule · bay · cap

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. field — a subject
  5. season — in sport
  6. rule — a law
  7. current — electric
  8. current — of water
  9. cap — a hat
  10. season — of the year
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. field — for sport
  13. current — happening now
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. dip — to sink
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. rush — hurry
  22. field — farmland
  23. cap — of ice
  24. rule — government

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