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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. spring — a coil
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. charge — a price
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. ball — a great time
  7. march — the month
  8. spring — of water
  9. pitch — completely
  10. march — the month
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. march — music
  13. ball — a dance
  14. current — happening now
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. charge — in control
  19. spring — the season
  20. content — the amount
  21. content — happy
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. current — of water
  24. charge — electricity

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