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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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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 · mark · kid · racket · ruler · bore · current · lean

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. mark — a trace
  3. field — farmland
  4. field — for sport
  5. current — happening now
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. kid — to tease
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. lean — thin
  12. field — a subject
  13. kid — child
  14. lean — to bend
  15. current — of water
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. bore — to drill
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. mark — a grade
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. bore — to tire
  24. ruler — for measuring

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