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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · mark · bulb · key · march · charge · spell · coach

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. key — the most important part
  4. key — for a lock
  5. current — happening now
  6. spell — letters
  7. march — music
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. charge — electricity
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. march — the month
  12. mark — a trace
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. current — electric
  15. march — the month
  16. charge — a price
  17. key — in music
  18. spell — a short time
  19. bulb — for light
  20. mark — a grade
  21. bulb — for light
  22. current — of water
  23. charge — in control
  24. coach — a trainer

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