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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.

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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: fine · plane · current · board · bear · wake · charge · field

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. current — of water
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. wake — a trail
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bear — the animal
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. fine — high quality
  11. charge — electricity
  12. fine — all right
  13. charge — in control
  14. field — for sport
  15. board — to get on
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. plane — a tool
  19. current — electric
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. charge — a price
  22. field — farmland
  23. board — a committee
  24. field — a subject

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