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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 train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. current — electric
  3. object — a thing
  4. current — happening now
  5. charge — electricity
  6. tear — from crying
  7. root — of a word
  8. object — an aim
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. charge — in control
  11. net — for catching
  12. root — the cause
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. tear — from crying
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. stand — to bear
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. root — of a plant
  19. tear — to rip
  20. net — in sport
  21. object — to protest
  22. charge — a price
  23. current — of water
  24. net — after costs

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