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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. bound — tied together
  3. craft — boats
  4. bound — certain
  5. file — a tool
  6. charge — in control
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. current — electric
  12. current — of water
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. pound — a weight
  15. file — a line of people
  16. bound — obliged
  17. charge — a price
  18. craft — a skill
  19. current — happening now
  20. file — a document
  21. sharp — clever
  22. charge — electricity
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. pound — to hit hard

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