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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · club · stand · ball · cell · current · lash · dip

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. field — a subject
  3. ball — a dance
  4. club — a group
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. field — farmland
  8. ball — a great time
  9. field — for sport
  10. dip — to sink
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. current — happening now
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. club — for golf
  16. cell — a phone
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. stand — to bear
  19. cell — in biology
  20. current — of water
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. current — electric
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. club — for dancing

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