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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bat · sharp · bay · fine · content · current · perch · charge

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. charge — electricity
  3. sharp — clever
  4. bat — the animal
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. fine — high quality
  10. perch — the fish
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. content — happy
  13. charge — in control
  14. content — the amount
  15. current — of water
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. charge — a price
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. current — happening now
  21. fine — all right
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. bay — a horse colour

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