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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: current · object · suit · chair · pound · field · leaves · charge

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. object — to protest
  3. suit — in cards
  4. current — happening now
  5. object — a thing
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. suit — clothes
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. charge — in control
  10. charge — electricity
  11. charge — a price
  12. object — an aim
  13. suit — to fit
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. current — electric
  16. pound — a weight
  17. field — for sport
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. field — farmland
  22. current — of water
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. field — a subject

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