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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. current — of water
  4. charge — in control
  5. cell — in biology
  6. content — happy
  7. mug — a face
  8. rule — a law
  9. current — electric
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. game — a match
  12. charge — electricity
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. sharp — clever
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. mug — a cup
  17. current — happening now
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. charge — a price
  20. game — wild animals
  21. rule — government
  22. content — the amount
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. mug — to rob

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