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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: current · calf · cold · land · charge · cell · fine · bowl

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. charge — a price
  4. land — a country
  5. land — to come down
  6. cold — not warm
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. fine — all right
  10. fine — high quality
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. charge — electricity
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. cell — in biology
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. land — ground
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. current — of water
  21. cell — a phone
  22. current — happening now
  23. cold — an illness
  24. current — electric

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