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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. rule — government
  3. current — electric
  4. charge — a price
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. pop — soda
  9. board — to get on
  10. charge — electricity
  11. pop — music
  12. current — of water
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. clip — for paper
  16. current — happening now
  17. rule — a law
  18. clip — a video
  19. pop — to visit
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. board — a committee
  24. clip — to cut

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