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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: bowl · root · wound · field · pass · current · pop · lean

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. lean — to bend
  4. lean — thin
  5. pop — to visit
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. pop — music
  8. current — happening now
  9. wound — an injury
  10. root — of a word
  11. field — for sport
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. pop — soda
  14. field — a subject
  15. root — of a plant
  16. current — of water
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. pass — a permit
  19. wound — an injury
  20. root — the cause
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. current — electric
  24. field — farmland

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