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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 · band · cue · fork · bat · mug · land

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. current — happening now
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. charge — in control
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. cue — for pool
  7. land — to come down
  8. charge — a price
  9. mug — a cup
  10. mug — a face
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. band — a ring
  13. current — electric
  14. mug — to rob
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. current — of water
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. band — a music group
  19. cue — a signal
  20. land — a country
  21. charge — electricity
  22. bat — the animal
  23. cue — a hint
  24. fork — in a road

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