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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: firm · ruler · charge · field · race · bulb · current · pound

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. field — a subject
  3. field — for sport
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. firm — steady
  6. firm — a company
  7. firm — decided
  8. current — electric
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. current — of water
  12. current — happening now
  13. charge — a price
  14. bulb — for light
  15. race — the arms race
  16. charge — electricity
  17. field — farmland
  18. pound — a weight
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. race — humankind
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. charge — in control
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. bulb — for light

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