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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: trunk · cabinet · bat · roll · charge · current · pass · perch

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. roll — a cake
  6. perch — the fish
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. charge — a price
  9. current — happening now
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. charge — in control
  13. roll — a list
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. current — of water
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. pass — a permit
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. charge — electricity
  24. bat — the animal

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