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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. charge — electricity
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. pound — a weight
  5. current — happening now
  6. current — electric
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. key — the most important part
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. last — to go on
  11. last — final
  12. key — in music
  13. current — of water
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. last — finally
  16. cell — in biology
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. cell — a phone
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. key — for a lock
  22. charge — a price
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. perch — the fish

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