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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: bear · charge · bass · current · sharp · coach · spell · board

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. current — happening now
  3. spell — letters
  4. charge — electricity
  5. sharp — clever
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. bear — the animal
  9. charge — a price
  10. board — to get on
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. current — of water
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. bass — the fish
  15. current — electric
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. bear — the animal
  18. spell — magic
  19. spell — a short time
  20. board — a committee
  21. bass — low music
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. charge — in control

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