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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. current — happening now
  3. field — for sport
  4. scale — in music
  5. field — a subject
  6. bulb — for light
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. charge — in control
  11. field — farmland
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. charge — electricity
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. current — of water
  17. current — electric
  18. scale — size or range
  19. bulb — for light
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. stand — to bear
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. scale — for weighing

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