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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: charge · perch · mouse · cap · net · current · pitcher · jam

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. charge — electricity
  4. perch — the fish
  5. net — after costs
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. charge — in control
  8. net — for catching
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. net — in sport
  15. cap — of ice
  16. current — electric
  17. cap — a lid
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. cap — a hat
  20. current — of water
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. charge — a price
  24. current — happening now

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