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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. mine — for digging
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. charge — in control
  7. current — electric
  8. charge — electricity
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. track — to keep track
  13. deal — to handle
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. track — a song
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. track — a path
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. perch — the fish
  23. charge — a price
  24. current — of water

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