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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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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: lie · current · pop · bear · ruler · pit · spell · field

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. pop — music
  4. lie — to recline
  5. current — happening now
  6. field — farmland
  7. pit — a hole
  8. pop — soda
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. field — for sport
  11. spell — a short time
  12. bear — the animal
  13. pop — to visit
  14. pit — in a race
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. spell — letters
  17. current — electric
  18. spell — magic
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. current — of water
  22. bear — the animal
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. field — a subject

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