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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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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. court — of a king
  3. charge — electricity
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. hand — in cards
  6. charge — in control
  7. lean — thin
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. bulb — for light
  10. hand — help
  11. current — of water
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. current — happening now
  14. court — of law
  15. charge — a price
  16. fork — in a road
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. bulb — for light
  20. court — for sport
  21. wake — a trail
  22. lean — to bend
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. bulb — of a plant

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