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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: cabinet · hand · spring · charge · jam · board · current · mate

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. current — happening now
  3. mate — a partner
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. mate — a friend
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. current — electric
  8. current — of water
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. hand — help
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. mate — to breed
  14. board — to get on
  15. hand — in cards
  16. charge — in control
  17. charge — a price
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. spring — of water
  20. charge — electricity
  21. board — a committee
  22. spring — a coil
  23. spring — the season
  24. board — a flat piece

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