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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: march · prune · current · nail · stick · rush · field · charge

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. field — a subject
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. field — for sport
  5. current — happening now
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. field — farmland
  8. charge — a price
  9. march — music
  10. current — electric
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. charge — in control
  13. charge — electricity
  14. prune — to trim
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. rush — hurry
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. march — the month
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. current — of water
  23. prune — to trim
  24. nail — on a finger

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