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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.

Make a worksheet

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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. march — the month
  4. march — music
  5. current — happening now
  6. current — electric
  7. fall — to drop
  8. fork — in a road
  9. current — of water
  10. march — the month
  11. root — of a plant
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. charge — a price
  14. fall — to drop
  15. charge — in control
  16. root — the cause
  17. root — of a word
  18. fall — the season

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