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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: land · club · current · bear · pitch · charge · can · drill

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. pitch — completely
  3. charge — electricity
  4. club — for golf
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. bear — the animal
  7. drill — army training
  8. land — a country
  9. club — a group
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. can — a tin
  12. charge — a price
  13. current — of water
  14. club — for dancing
  15. drill — the tool
  16. can — to be able to
  17. land — ground
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. charge — in control
  20. drill — a practice
  21. current — electric
  22. bear — the animal
  23. can — a tin
  24. current — happening now

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