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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: current · bay · stem · fan · row · roll · march · charge

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  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. bay — a horse colour
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. charge — a price
  4. row — a line
  5. roll — a list
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. charge — electricity
  9. march — the month
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. roll — a cake
  13. march — the month
  14. current — electric
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. march — music
  18. stem — to come from
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. row — to paddle
  21. charge — in control
  22. current — happening now
  23. fan — a supporter
  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