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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. land — to come down
  3. charge — in control
  4. bank — of a river
  5. land — ground
  6. net — after costs
  7. current — of water
  8. land — a country
  9. field — a subject
  10. charge — electricity
  11. bank — for money
  12. net — for catching
  13. current — electric
  14. bank — for money
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. suit — in cards
  17. field — for sport
  18. suit — clothes
  19. field — farmland
  20. suit — to fit
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. current — happening now
  23. charge — a price
  24. net — in sport

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