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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. charge — a price
  3. pitch — completely
  4. charge — in control
  5. tube — the underground
  6. bulb — for light
  7. current — happening now
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. tube — a container
  11. current — of water
  12. current — electric
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. file — a tool
  15. bulb — for light
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. file — a document
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. charge — electricity
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. file — a line of people

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