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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 116 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 · object · craft · land · last · net · charge · march

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. last — to go on
  3. march — the month
  4. current — electric
  5. charge — electricity
  6. object — to protest
  7. current — happening now
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. charge — a price
  10. object — an aim
  11. current — of water
  12. net — in sport
  13. land — to come down
  14. craft — a skill
  15. charge — in control
  16. march — the month
  17. last — finally
  18. object — a thing
  19. net — for catching
  20. land — ground
  21. craft — boats
  22. march — music
  23. net — after costs
  24. land — a country

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