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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. swing — in golf
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. charge — a price
  5. charge — electricity
  6. ground — crushed
  7. drill — a practice
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. ground — a position
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. bore — to drill
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. drill — army training
  14. current — happening now
  15. swing — to play on
  16. swing — music
  17. ground — the earth
  18. current — of water
  19. bore — to tire
  20. drill — the tool
  21. stem — to come from
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. wake — a trail
  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