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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: temple · bass · straw · field · sharp · stand · charge · current

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. field — a subject
  4. current — happening now
  5. field — for sport
  6. stand — to bear
  7. charge — a price
  8. bass — the fish
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. current — electric
  13. charge — electricity
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. field — farmland
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. charge — in control
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. bass — low music
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. current — of water

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