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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 120 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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. mine — for digging
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. track — to keep track
  6. current — of water
  7. charge — in control
  8. track — a song
  9. bound — certain
  10. cell — in biology
  11. bound — tied together
  12. pit — in a race
  13. pit — a hole
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. cell — a phone
  16. track — a path
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. charge — a price
  20. charge — electricity
  21. fine — all right
  22. fine — high quality
  23. bound — obliged
  24. current — happening now

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