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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: last · rock · charge · field · current · coach · stick · bulb

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. current — electric
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. rock — music
  5. last — to go on
  6. bulb — for light
  7. field — a subject
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. charge — in control
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. rock — a stone
  13. last — final
  14. charge — a price
  15. current — of water
  16. field — farmland
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. charge — electricity
  20. last — finally
  21. current — happening now
  22. field — for sport
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. coach — a trainer

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