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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. spring — the season
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. current — electric
  5. charge — electricity
  6. current — happening now
  7. cap — a hat
  8. spring — a coil
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. stock — goods
  11. current — of water
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. charge — a price
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. stock — shares
  16. date — the fruit
  17. charge — in control
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. spring — of water
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. cap — a lid
  23. cap — of ice
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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