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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. charge — electricity
  3. land — ground
  4. branch — a division
  5. current — of water
  6. charge — in control
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. race — the arms race
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. race — a contest
  12. race — humankind
  13. kick — in football
  14. current — happening now
  15. track — to keep track
  16. track — a path
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. charge — a price
  19. land — a country
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. land — to come down
  24. track — a song

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