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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 120 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: charge · fork · current · root · fall · march · pound · pop

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. pop — soda
  3. pop — to visit
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. march — the month
  6. root — the cause
  7. root — of a word
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. fork — in a road
  10. charge — in control
  11. fall — the season
  12. root — of a plant
  13. pound — a weight
  14. current — of water
  15. fall — to drop
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. pop — music
  18. current — electric
  19. charge — electricity
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. charge — a price
  22. fall — to drop
  23. march — the month
  24. march — music

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