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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 muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. mine — for digging
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. march — the month
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. mug — a cup
  9. track — a song
  10. mug — a face
  11. current — of water
  12. charge — in control
  13. mug — to rob
  14. current — electric
  15. charge — electricity
  16. current — happening now
  17. chair — a leader
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. march — music
  21. charge — a price
  22. march — the month
  23. track — to keep track
  24. chair — to sit on

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