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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 · sharp · net · club · charge · date · pit · wake

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. club — for dancing
  3. wake — a trail
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. current — electric
  6. current — of water
  7. club — a group
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. date — the fruit
  10. current — happening now
  11. charge — a price
  12. net — in sport
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. charge — electricity
  16. net — for catching
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. pit — in a race
  20. net — after costs
  21. sharp — clever
  22. club — for golf
  23. charge — in control
  24. date — on the calendar

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