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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 116 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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. charge — electricity
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. current — electric
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. mine — for digging
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. bark — to shout
  12. current — happening now
  13. cell — a phone
  14. band — a music group
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. band — a ring
  17. current — of water
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. cell — in biology
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. charge — in control
  24. band — a rubber band

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