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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 116 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: last · stick · current · fall · charge · pound · march · file

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. current — happening now
  3. current — electric
  4. last — to go on
  5. march — the month
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. last — finally
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. march — the month
  10. fall — to drop
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. file — a tool
  15. file — a line of people
  16. fall — the season
  17. fall — to drop
  18. last — final
  19. file — a document
  20. march — music
  21. charge — electricity
  22. current — of water
  23. charge — a price
  24. charge — in control

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