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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: ball · race · mug · current · staff · charge · stem · pound

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. current — happening now
  3. current — of water
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. ball — a dance
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. charge — in control
  8. mug — a cup
  9. race — humankind
  10. stem — to come from
  11. staff — employees
  12. staff — a stick
  13. mug — a face
  14. current — electric
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. race — a contest
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. mug — to rob
  20. charge — a price
  21. charge — electricity
  22. pound — a weight
  23. race — the arms race
  24. ball — a great time

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