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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.

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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. current — of water
  3. game — a match
  4. spring — the season
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. game — wild animals
  7. spring — a coil
  8. charge — a price
  9. charge — electricity
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. pass — a permit
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. chest — a box
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. chest — of your body
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. chest — of your body
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. spring — of water
  23. charge — in control
  24. current — electric

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