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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 120 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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. current — electric
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. charge — a price
  5. foot — a measure
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. mate — a partner
  8. charge — electricity
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. chip — for betting
  12. mate — to breed
  13. current — happening now
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. charge — in control
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. sharp — clever
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. prune — to trim
  21. mate — a friend
  22. current — of water
  23. chip — to eat
  24. sharp — with an edge

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