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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: cell · bank · current · calf · mine · perch · content · charge

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. current — electric
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. bank — for money
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. current — of water
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. perch — the fish
  11. content — the amount
  12. mine — for digging
  13. bank — of a river
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. cell — in biology
  18. current — happening now
  19. charge — electricity
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. content — happy
  22. bank — for money
  23. charge — in control
  24. charge — a price

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