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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. current — electric
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. bat — the animal
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. current — happening now
  10. bore — to tire
  11. rock — music
  12. net — in sport
  13. current — of water
  14. net — after costs
  15. mark — a trace
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. charge — in control
  18. bore — to drill
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. charge — a price
  22. rock — a stone
  23. net — for catching
  24. mark — a grade

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