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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.

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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: cap · charge · craft · perch · mouse · bank · current · chest

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. current — happening now
  3. current — of water
  4. cap — a hat
  5. charge — a price
  6. bank — of a river
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. perch — the fish
  9. chest — a box
  10. charge — in control
  11. bank — for money
  12. cap — a lid
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. current — electric
  16. chest — of your body
  17. chest — of your body
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. cap — of ice
  20. charge — electricity
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. craft — boats
  23. bank — for money
  24. craft — a handicraft

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