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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  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. current — electric
  2. ground — crushed
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. drill — the tool
  5. charge — a price
  6. ground — a position
  7. charge — electricity
  8. drill — a practice
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. current — of water
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. drill — army training
  15. bear — the animal
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. current — happening now
  19. board — a committee
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. bear — the animal
  22. ground — the earth
  23. board — to get on
  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