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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: march · net · tear · current · bulb · suit · rush · charge

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. net — for catching
  3. charge — in control
  4. net — after costs
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. suit — in cards
  7. march — music
  8. tear — from crying
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. march — the month
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. bulb — for light
  13. net — in sport
  14. current — of water
  15. suit — to fit
  16. tear — from crying
  17. bulb — for light
  18. rush — hurry
  19. current — electric
  20. charge — a price
  21. current — happening now
  22. march — the month
  23. suit — clothes
  24. charge — electricity

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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