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

Word bank: charge · wind · firm · deal · current · last · field · bay

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. field — a subject
  3. current — happening now
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. deal — to handle
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. wind — moving air
  9. firm — a company
  10. firm — decided
  11. field — for sport
  12. current — electric
  13. last — final
  14. field — farmland
  15. charge — electricity
  16. last — to go on
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. charge — in control
  20. current — of water
  21. firm — steady
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. charge — a price
  24. wind — moving air

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