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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: current · charge · toast · stick · land · pitcher · arm · ruler

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. charge — in control
  3. land — a country
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. land — ground
  6. current — happening now
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. current — electric
  10. charge — electricity
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. current — of water
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. charge — a price
  21. land — to come down
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. toast — bread
  24. arm — part of the body

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