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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.

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: press · current · fine · field · charge · snap · chest · craft

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. field — a subject
  3. charge — a price
  4. chest — a box
  5. snap — to click
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. press — a publisher
  8. chest — of your body
  9. chest — of your body
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. charge — electricity
  12. press — newspapers
  13. charge — in control
  14. field — for sport
  15. current — happening now
  16. craft — a skill
  17. fine — all right
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. craft — boats
  20. fine — high quality
  21. current — electric
  22. press — to push
  23. current — of water
  24. fine — a penalty

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