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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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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: march · current · pitcher · bat · trunk · charge · safe · net

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. current — electric
  3. net — in sport
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. charge — a price
  8. bat — the animal
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. march — the month
  13. charge — in control
  14. net — for catching
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. net — after costs
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. march — music
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. march — the month
  23. charge — electricity
  24. current — of water

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