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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 · fan · cell · file · track · fork · cold · charge

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. charge — electricity
  3. cold — not warm
  4. current — happening now
  5. track — a path
  6. cell — in biology
  7. cell — a phone
  8. file — a tool
  9. file — a document
  10. charge — a price
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. cold — an illness
  13. current — electric
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. track — to keep track
  17. track — a song
  18. current — of water
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. fork — in a road
  23. file — a line of people
  24. fan — a supporter

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