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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 · bore · bank · wind · present · content · game

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. charge — electricity
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. current — of water
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. content — the amount
  7. bank — of a river
  8. current — electric
  9. charge — in control
  10. present — a gift
  11. bank — for money
  12. bore — to tire
  13. current — happening now
  14. game — wild animals
  15. present — there
  16. wind — moving air
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. bore — to drill
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. charge — a price
  21. wind — moving air
  22. content — happy
  23. bank — for money
  24. present — the time now

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