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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 116 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: board · field · rock · net · content · straw · rush · charge

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. net — in sport
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. charge — electricity
  7. charge — a price
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. rock — music
  10. field — a subject
  11. content — happy
  12. net — after costs
  13. charge — in control
  14. net — for catching
  15. rush — hurry
  16. field — for sport
  17. field — farmland
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. board — to get on
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. board — a committee
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. rock — a stone
  24. content — the amount

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