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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: sharp · current · charge · stem · bay · scale · present · spell

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. spell — a short time
  4. current — electric
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. sharp — clever
  7. stem — to come from
  8. current — happening now
  9. charge — electricity
  10. charge — a price
  11. present — a gift
  12. current — of water
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. spell — letters
  15. present — the time now
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. scale — size or range
  18. charge — in control
  19. scale — in music
  20. present — there
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. spell — magic

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