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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: saw · current · chip · charge · present · sharp · fork · foot

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. present — a gift
  3. saw — the tool
  4. current — electric
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. sharp — clever
  8. present — there
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. charge — a price
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. current — of water
  14. charge — electricity
  15. foot — a measure
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. chip — to eat
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. current — happening now
  21. present — the time now
  22. chip — for betting
  23. fork — in a road
  24. charge — in control

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