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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: chest · pitch · bear · firm · charge · last · plane · current

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. firm — decided
  3. charge — in control
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. firm — a company
  6. bear — the animal
  7. chest — a box
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. firm — steady
  10. last — finally
  11. chest — of your body
  12. charge — a price
  13. bear — the animal
  14. chest — of your body
  15. last — final
  16. current — electric
  17. last — to go on
  18. plane — a tool
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. charge — electricity
  22. current — of water
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. pitch — completely

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