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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. charge — in control
  3. charge — electricity
  4. current — of water
  5. saw — the tool
  6. drill — army training
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. charge — a price
  10. drill — a practice
  11. pit — in a race
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. cap — a hat
  15. drill — the tool
  16. current — electric
  17. chip — to eat
  18. current — happening now
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. chip — for betting
  21. cap — a lid
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. pit — a hole
  24. saw — the tool

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