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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
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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: field · current · tube · bore · leaves · bear · cabinet · charge

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. charge — a price
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. bear — the animal
  5. current — happening now
  6. charge — electricity
  7. charge — in control
  8. field — a subject
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. field — for sport
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. bore — to tire
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. bore — to drill
  18. bear — the animal
  19. tube — the underground
  20. field — farmland
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. current — of water
  23. tube — a container
  24. current — electric

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