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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. charge — electricity
  3. current — electric
  4. swing — music
  5. mug — a face
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. stem — to come from
  8. mug — a cup
  9. mug — to rob
  10. current — happening now
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. tube — the underground
  13. tube — a container
  14. swing — to play on
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. capital — a city
  17. pound — a weight
  18. swing — in golf
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. capital — money
  22. charge — in control
  23. capital — a big letter
  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