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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 · racket · wave · staff · board · snap · band · current

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. current — of water
  3. field — for sport
  4. band — a music group
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. current — happening now
  7. field — farmland
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. staff — employees
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. board — to get on
  12. staff — employees
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. staff — a stick
  16. snap — to click
  17. current — electric
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. band — a ring
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. board — a committee
  24. wave — of the sea

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