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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 116 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: field · lie · charge · racket · current · chair · pop · mark

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. pop — to visit
  3. pop — music
  4. lie — to recline
  5. current — of water
  6. charge — electricity
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. mark — a grade
  9. current — electric
  10. pop — soda
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. field — for sport
  14. charge — in control
  15. chair — a leader
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. mark — a trace
  19. field — a subject
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. charge — a price
  23. field — farmland
  24. racket — for tennis

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