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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: current · charge · shower · club · pass · field · wound · bore

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. club — for golf
  3. bore — to tire
  4. pass — a permit
  5. charge — a price
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. current — happening now
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. field — farmland
  10. club — for dancing
  11. charge — in control
  12. wound — an injury
  13. current — of water
  14. club — a group
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. shower — rain
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. bore — to drill
  19. charge — electricity
  20. field — for sport
  21. shower — to wash
  22. field — a subject
  23. wound — an injury
  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