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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. bank — for money
  3. mug — a face
  4. bank — of a river
  5. band — a ring
  6. mug — a cup
  7. bank — for money
  8. capital — money
  9. current — of water
  10. band — a music group
  11. game — wild animals
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. current — electric
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. prune — to trim
  16. charge — electricity
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. game — a match
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. prune — to trim
  21. current — happening now
  22. mug — to rob
  23. capital — a city
  24. charge — a price

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