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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · field · content · season · leaves · date · key · pit

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. field — farmland
  6. content — happy
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. key — the most important part
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. pit — a hole
  12. field — a subject
  13. season — in sport
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. field — for sport
  16. date — the fruit
  17. season — of the year
  18. key — for a lock
  19. pit — in a race
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. key — in music
  22. current — of water
  23. content — the amount
  24. current — happening now

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