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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: stem · squash · swing · current · content · fan · charge · saw

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. squash — to crush
  3. swing — music
  4. swing — in golf
  5. current — electric
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. saw — the tool
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. content — the amount
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. swing — to play on
  12. charge — in control
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. content — happy
  15. saw — the tool
  16. current — of water
  17. charge — a price
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. squash — the sport
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. stem — to come from
  23. charge — electricity
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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