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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. current — happening now
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. firm — a company
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. hand — in cards
  7. prune — to trim
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. firm — steady
  10. current — electric
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. current — of water
  14. squash — the sport
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. tube — a container
  17. firm — decided
  18. charge — a price
  19. rush — hurry
  20. prune — to trim
  21. squash — to crush
  22. charge — in control
  23. hand — help
  24. tube — the underground

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