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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. clip — a video
  5. current — electric
  6. dip — to sink
  7. drill — army training
  8. charge — electricity
  9. saw — the tool
  10. clip — for paper
  11. scale — in music
  12. charge — a price
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. saw — the tool
  16. current — of water
  17. fork — in a road
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. drill — the tool
  21. drill — a practice
  22. clip — to cut
  23. scale — size or range
  24. current — happening now

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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