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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: stand · snap · charge · pound · trunk · field · current · ground

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. field — for sport
  5. current — electric
  6. ground — crushed
  7. field — a subject
  8. ground — a position
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. current — of water
  11. charge — a price
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. ground — the earth
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. current — happening now
  18. field — farmland
  19. pound — a weight
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. charge — electricity
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. charge — in control
  24. snap — to click

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