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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. file — a document
  3. charge — electricity
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. root — of a plant
  6. current — electric
  7. current — happening now
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. ground — the earth
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. file — a tool
  13. file — a line of people
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. charge — a price
  16. ground — a position
  17. ground — crushed
  18. current — of water
  19. spell — letters
  20. spell — a short time
  21. root — of a word
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. root — the cause
  24. charge — in control

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