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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: charge · current · jam · temple · row · mine · roll · bulb

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. mine — for digging
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. row — a line
  11. roll — a cake
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. current — of water
  14. current — happening now
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. charge — in control
  17. charge — a price
  18. current — electric
  19. charge — electricity
  20. bulb — for light
  21. row — to paddle
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. roll — a list

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