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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: ball · stand · foot · chair · current · rock · charge · march

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. march — the month
  5. march — the month
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. stand — to bear
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. current — of water
  10. foot — a measure
  11. charge — electricity
  12. chair — a leader
  13. charge — a price
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. ball — a dance
  16. charge — in control
  17. ball — a great time
  18. rock — a stone
  19. current — electric
  20. march — music
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. rock — music
  24. current — happening now

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