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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. current — of water
  3. charge — electricity
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. last — finally
  6. scale — in music
  7. current — happening now
  8. sharp — clever
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. pass — a permit
  13. scale — size or range
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. last — final
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. bark — to shout
  19. charge — a price
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. charge — in control
  22. current — electric
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. scale — for weighing

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