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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. ball — a great time
  3. charge — electricity
  4. cap — a hat
  5. current — electric
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. cap — of ice
  8. current — of water
  9. rush — hurry
  10. ball — a dance
  11. charge — a price
  12. craft — a skill
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. shower — rain
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. current — happening now
  17. degree — temperature
  18. charge — in control
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. shower — to wash
  21. degree — from a university
  22. cap — a lid
  23. degree — an amount
  24. craft — boats

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