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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: safe · charge · bat · current · cabinet · row · pop · press

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. charge — in control
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. charge — electricity
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. current — happening now
  12. current — of water
  13. current — electric
  14. bat — the animal
  15. charge — a price
  16. press — newspapers
  17. row — a line
  18. pop — music
  19. pop — to visit
  20. pop — soda
  21. press — a publisher
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. press — to push
  24. row — to paddle

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