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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. charge — electricity
  4. rest — what's left
  5. current — of water
  6. charge — in control
  7. squash — the sport
  8. board — to get on
  9. board — a committee
  10. game — a match
  11. rest — a break
  12. rest — what's left
  13. squash — to crush
  14. wind — moving air
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. ball — a dance
  17. current — electric
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. game — wild animals
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. ball — a great time
  22. current — happening now
  23. wind — moving air
  24. game — a kind of play

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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