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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 120 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: pound · ground · rest · kick · ruler · field · current · tube

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. field — for sport
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. current — electric
  5. pound — a weight
  6. ground — the earth
  7. tube — a container
  8. current — of water
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. rest — what's left
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. kick — in football
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. current — happening now
  16. tube — the underground
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. ground — crushed
  20. ground — a position
  21. field — a subject
  22. rest — a break
  23. pound — for dogs
  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