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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: track · spring · snap · cabinet · ground · current · capital · charge

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  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. ground — a position
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. snap — to click
  5. ground — the earth
  6. charge — a price
  7. charge — electricity
  8. track — a path
  9. spring — the season
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. current — happening now
  12. track — to keep track
  13. capital — a city
  14. track — a song
  15. current — electric
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. spring — of water
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. charge — in control
  21. spring — a coil
  22. ground — crushed
  23. capital — money
  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