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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. object — to protest
  3. current — electric
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. charge — a price
  6. drill — a practice
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. press — a publisher
  9. press — newspapers
  10. object — a thing
  11. drill — the tool
  12. object — an aim
  13. current — happening now
  14. drill — army training
  15. land — a country
  16. charge — electricity
  17. bulb — for light
  18. branch — a division
  19. land — ground
  20. press — to push
  21. charge — in control
  22. land — to come down
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. current — of water

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