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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. bound — obliged
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. charge — electricity
  6. current — electric
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. bound — certain
  10. charge — in control
  11. bound — tied together
  12. branch — a division
  13. stock — shares
  14. current — happening now
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. scale — in music
  19. charge — a price
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. scale — size or range
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. stock — goods

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