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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: cabinet · cold · stand · foot · club · saw · charge · current

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. club — for golf
  3. charge — in control
  4. charge — electricity
  5. cold — not warm
  6. current — electric
  7. club — for dancing
  8. club — a group
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. stand — to bear
  11. saw — the tool
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. charge — a price
  18. current — happening now
  19. foot — a measure
  20. saw — the tool
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. current — of water
  24. cold — an illness

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