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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: can · object · squash · march · wake · charge · current · craft

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. charge — electricity
  3. can — to be able to
  4. object — to protest
  5. craft — a skill
  6. wake — a trail
  7. can — a tin
  8. craft — boats
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. object — an aim
  11. current — happening now
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. charge — a price
  14. march — the month
  15. march — the month
  16. can — a tin
  17. squash — to crush
  18. object — a thing
  19. current — electric
  20. charge — in control
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. march — music
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. squash — the sport

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