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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: toast · charge · key · current · shower · branch · game · bulb

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. charge — in control
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. charge — a price
  5. current — electric
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. branch — a division
  8. key — the most important part
  9. shower — to wash
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. key — for a lock
  16. current — happening now
  17. key — in music
  18. toast — bread
  19. bulb — for light
  20. game — a match
  21. game — wild animals
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. current — of water
  24. shower — rain

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