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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. drill — army training
  3. drill — a practice
  4. game — a match
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. current — happening now
  7. row — a line
  8. game — wild animals
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. track — to keep track
  12. row — to paddle
  13. current — of water
  14. drill — the tool
  15. charge — a price
  16. track — a song
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. charge — in control
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. track — a path
  22. charge — electricity
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. leaves — to go away

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