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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. charge — in control
  4. current — of water
  5. current — electric
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. rock — a stone
  9. bear — the animal
  10. rock — music
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. current — happening now
  13. wound — an injury
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. wound — an injury
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. bear — the animal
  22. charge — a price
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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