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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 116 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: key · nail · rule · field · game · stand · bowl · current

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. current — happening now
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. current — of water
  6. key — in music
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. rule — government
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. field — a subject
  11. field — for sport
  12. game — a match
  13. current — electric
  14. stand — to bear
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. game — wild animals
  17. key — the most important part
  18. rule — a law
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. key — for a lock
  24. nail — for a hammer

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