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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. current — happening now
  3. charge — in control
  4. charge — a price
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. object — an aim
  7. saw — the tool
  8. current — electric
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. chip — to eat
  13. mine — for digging
  14. branch — a division
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. chip — for betting
  18. saw — the tool
  19. charge — electricity
  20. object — to protest
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. current — of water
  23. object — a thing
  24. branch — of a bank

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