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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: current · mine · ground · racket · charge · temple · shower · suit

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. shower — to wash
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. ground — the earth
  7. current — electric
  8. charge — electricity
  9. charge — a price
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. current — happening now
  12. mine — for digging
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. charge — in control
  16. current — of water
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. ground — a position
  19. ground — crushed
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. shower — rain
  23. suit — clothes
  24. suit — in cards

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