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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 120 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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. charge — electricity
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. object — an aim
  5. ball — a dance
  6. object — to protest
  7. charge — a price
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. root — of a plant
  12. current — happening now
  13. stand — to bear
  14. cell — in biology
  15. current — electric
  16. charge — in control
  17. ball — a great time
  18. cell — a phone
  19. object — a thing
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. root — the cause
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. root — of a word
  24. current — of water

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