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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: root · pitcher · file · current · swing · temple · leaves · charge

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  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. leaves — lets stay
  3. current — electric
  4. swing — to play on
  5. root — the cause
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. current — of water
  9. file — a document
  10. swing — music
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. charge — a price
  14. file — a line of people
  15. charge — in control
  16. root — of a word
  17. swing — in golf
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. root — of a plant
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. current — happening now
  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