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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 · dip · mouse · field · staff · face · band · firm

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. dip — to sink
  5. firm — a company
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. face — to confront
  8. firm — steady
  9. staff — a stick
  10. firm — decided
  11. field — for sport
  12. face — part of the head
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. field — a subject
  15. band — a ring
  16. current — electric
  17. staff — employees
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. current — happening now
  20. face — to point toward
  21. band — a music group
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. staff — employees
  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