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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. craft — boats
  3. charge — in control
  4. band — a ring
  5. branch — a division
  6. rule — a law
  7. chip — for betting
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. chip — to eat
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. charge — electricity
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. current — of water
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. craft — a skill
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. charge — a price
  18. band — a music group
  19. current — happening now
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. rule — government
  23. season — in sport
  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