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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. charge — in control
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. charge — a price
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. spring — of water
  8. current — happening now
  9. current — of water
  10. spring — the season
  11. fork — in a road
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. drill — the tool
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. drill — army training
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. charge — electricity
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. spring — a coil
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. mug — a face
  22. drill — a practice
  23. mug — to rob
  24. mug — a cup

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