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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. current — of water
  3. net — for catching
  4. charge — electricity
  5. net — in sport
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. scale — size or range
  10. charge — in control
  11. spell — letters
  12. cell — in biology
  13. current — happening now
  14. bank — for money
  15. scale — in music
  16. current — electric
  17. bank — for money
  18. spell — a short time
  19. cell — a phone
  20. bank — of a river
  21. net — after costs
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. charge — a price
  24. cell — in a prison

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