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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: current · rest · field · branch · deal · suit · game · straw

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. rest — what's left
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. current — happening now
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. suit — clothes
  7. suit — in cards
  8. current — electric
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. branch — a division
  12. field — a subject
  13. rest — what's left
  14. deal — to handle
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. suit — to fit
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. field — for sport
  19. field — farmland
  20. rest — a break
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. current — of water
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. game — wild animals

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