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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 · foot · chest · board · fine · current · saw · shower

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  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. saw — the tool
  2. shower — rain
  3. field — a subject
  4. board — to get on
  5. fine — high quality
  6. current — happening now
  7. fine — all right
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. chest — a box
  10. chest — of your body
  11. saw — the tool
  12. board — a committee
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. foot — a measure
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. chest — of your body
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. field — for sport
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. shower — to wash
  22. current — electric
  23. field — farmland
  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