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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. toast — bread
  3. file — a document
  4. current — happening now
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. charge — a price
  7. rock — a stone
  8. capital — money
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. rock — music
  11. current — electric
  12. charge — in control
  13. capital — a city
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. perch — the fish
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. stand — to bear
  19. current — of water
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. file — a line of people
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. file — a tool

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