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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. suit — clothes
  3. net — after costs
  4. bound — certain
  5. current — electric
  6. current — happening now
  7. tube — the underground
  8. stand — to bear
  9. march — the month
  10. net — in sport
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. bound — obliged
  14. tube — a container
  15. current — of water
  16. bound — tied together
  17. charge — a price
  18. march — the month
  19. charge — in control
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. net — for catching
  22. march — music
  23. suit — in cards
  24. suit — to fit

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