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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  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 — happening now
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. clip — to cut
  4. net — in sport
  5. charge — in control
  6. clip — a video
  7. charge — a price
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. swing — in golf
  10. swing — to play on
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. current — electric
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. clip — for paper
  17. branch — a division
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. swing — music
  20. net — for catching
  21. pass — a permit
  22. net — after costs
  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