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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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Word bank
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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. current — electric
  5. spell — a short time
  6. charge — electricity
  7. spell — letters
  8. content — happy
  9. content — the amount
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. spell — magic
  12. current — of water
  13. charge — in control
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. band — a music group
  17. pass — a permit
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. charge — a price
  22. current — happening now
  23. band — a ring
  24. pass — to spend time

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