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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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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. current — happening now
  3. current — of water
  4. wax — to grow
  5. charge — in control
  6. pit — in a race
  7. current — electric
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. fork — in a road
  10. field — for sport
  11. field — farmland
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. charge — a price
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. pit — a hole
  16. pitch — completely
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. field — a subject
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. ruler — for measuring

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