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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 116 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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. current — electric
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. shower — rain
  5. charge — a price
  6. pit — in a race
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. current — of water
  9. chip — for betting
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. press — newspapers
  12. charge — electricity
  13. pit — a hole
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. current — happening now
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. branch — a division
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. press — a publisher
  20. shower — to wash
  21. press — to push
  22. charge — in control
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. chip — to eat

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