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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 116 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: straw · cabinet · ground · charge · current · suit · chip · rest

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. current — happening now
  3. chip — for betting
  4. rest — what's left
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. ground — a position
  7. suit — in cards
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. suit — to fit
  10. rest — what's left
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. ground — crushed
  13. suit — clothes
  14. ground — the earth
  15. current — of water
  16. current — electric
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. charge — in control
  19. charge — electricity
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. rest — a break
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. chip — to eat
  24. cabinet — ministers

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