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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: hand · prune · pitcher · current · swing · charge · cabinet · bank

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. current — electric
  3. swing — music
  4. current — of water
  5. hand — help
  6. swing — in golf
  7. bank — for money
  8. bank — of a river
  9. charge — electricity
  10. prune — to trim
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. bank — for money
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. charge — a price
  17. hand — in cards
  18. swing — to play on
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. charge — in control
  22. prune — to trim
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. hand — part of the body

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