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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. swing — in golf
  3. swing — to play on
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. swing — music
  6. current — of water
  7. shower — to wash
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. cap — a hat
  12. bear — the animal
  13. roll — a cake
  14. charge — electricity
  15. stem — to come from
  16. cap — of ice
  17. current — electric
  18. bear — the animal
  19. charge — a price
  20. cap — a lid
  21. roll — a list
  22. shower — rain
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. current — happening now

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