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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. chest — of your body
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. chest — of your body
  6. charge — electricity
  7. field — for sport
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. field — a subject
  10. field — farmland
  11. can — a tin
  12. tube — the underground
  13. board — to get on
  14. tube — a container
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. wake — a trail
  17. current — electric
  18. current — of water
  19. can — to be able to
  20. charge — a price
  21. can — a tin
  22. board — a committee
  23. current — happening now
  24. chest — a box

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