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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: can · fork · bat · charge · nail · current · field · object

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. current — of water
  3. field — farmland
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. charge — a price
  6. current — electric
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. object — to protest
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. fork — in a road
  12. field — for sport
  13. bat — the animal
  14. charge — electricity
  15. charge — in control
  16. current — happening now
  17. object — a thing
  18. can — a tin
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. field — a subject
  22. can — a tin
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. can — to be able to

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