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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · prune · lash · scale · ground · chip · stick

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. ground — crushed
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. prune — to trim
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. chip — for betting
  7. charge — in control
  8. charge — electricity
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. scale — size or range
  11. charge — a price
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. current — electric
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. current — of water
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. scale — in music
  18. prune — to trim
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. ground — a position
  21. chip — to eat
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. current — happening now
  24. ground — the earth

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