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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: pop · field · current · charge · file · row · kick · fan

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. current — electric
  5. pop — to visit
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. field — farmland
  8. charge — a price
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. row — to paddle
  11. charge — in control
  12. file — a document
  13. pop — music
  14. current — of water
  15. row — a line
  16. file — a line of people
  17. current — happening now
  18. field — for sport
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. file — a tool
  21. pop — soda
  22. charge — electricity
  23. kick — in football
  24. fan — to cool the air

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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