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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: root · charge · land · mug · cap · current · file · rash

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  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. root — of a word
  2. root — of a plant
  3. cap — a lid
  4. current — electric
  5. charge — electricity
  6. cap — of ice
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. rash — hasty
  9. file — a document
  10. rash — a series
  11. current — happening now
  12. file — a tool
  13. charge — a price
  14. root — the cause
  15. cap — a hat
  16. mug — to rob
  17. land — ground
  18. land — a country
  19. land — to come down
  20. mug — a face
  21. mug — a cup
  22. charge — in control
  23. file — a line of people
  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