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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  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. charge — a price
  2. charge — electricity
  3. key — in music
  4. key — for a lock
  5. roll — a cake
  6. swing — to play on
  7. rest — a break
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. roll — a list
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. current — of water
  13. pound — a weight
  14. current — electric
  15. swing — music
  16. stem — to come from
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. key — the most important part
  19. rest — what's left
  20. swing — in golf
  21. rest — what's left
  22. current — happening now
  23. roll — on a roll
  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