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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 120 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: current · board · mate · hide · rock · cap · charge · firm

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. mate — a friend
  4. firm — a company
  5. mate — a partner
  6. charge — a price
  7. cap — of ice
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. mate — to breed
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. charge — in control
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. board — a committee
  14. cap — a lid
  15. rock — music
  16. firm — steady
  17. board — to get on
  18. firm — decided
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. current — happening now
  21. rock — a stone
  22. current — electric
  23. cap — a hat
  24. current — of water

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