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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. charge — electricity
  3. land — a country
  4. plane — a tool
  5. file — a document
  6. land — to come down
  7. current — happening now
  8. bass — low music
  9. charge — in control
  10. current — of water
  11. charge — a price
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. file — a tool
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. land — ground
  16. vault — a safe
  17. file — a line of people
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. bass — the fish
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. plane — an aircraft

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