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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. 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. mate — a partner
  2. court — of a king
  3. current — electric
  4. court — of law
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. face — to point toward
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. court — for sport
  9. face — part of the head
  10. charge — a price
  11. current — of water
  12. mate — a friend
  13. bat — the animal
  14. charge — electricity
  15. current — happening now
  16. mate — to breed
  17. face — to confront
  18. 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