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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. kid — child
  3. charge — a price
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. current — electric
  6. current — happening now
  7. rash — a series
  8. charge — in control
  9. charge — electricity
  10. net — in sport
  11. current — of water
  12. net — after costs
  13. net — for catching
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. face — to point toward
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. kid — to tease
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. pound — a weight
  21. face — part of the head
  22. face — to confront
  23. toast — bread
  24. toast — the most admired

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