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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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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. march — the month
  3. charge — a price
  4. suit — in cards
  5. charge — in control
  6. face — to confront
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. prune — to trim
  9. current — electric
  10. cap — a lid
  11. current — happening now
  12. prune — to trim
  13. march — the month
  14. suit — to fit
  15. cap — a hat
  16. board — to get on
  17. march — music
  18. board — a committee
  19. suit — clothes
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. cap — of ice
  22. current — of water
  23. face — part of the head
  24. face — to point toward

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