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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
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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 · object · current · spell · rest · firm · cabinet · fan

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. current — happening now
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. object — an aim
  5. rest — what's left
  6. field — farmland
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. current — electric
  9. object — a thing
  10. spell — letters
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. field — for sport
  13. spell — magic
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. object — to protest
  16. field — a subject
  17. firm — decided
  18. firm — a company
  19. spell — a short time
  20. current — of water
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. rest — what's left
  23. rest — a break
  24. fan — to cool the air

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