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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. bound — certain
  4. spring — the season
  5. charge — in control
  6. last — final
  7. spring — a coil
  8. charge — a price
  9. current — happening now
  10. bound — tied together
  11. current — electric
  12. rock — music
  13. tube — the underground
  14. last — to go on
  15. bound — obliged
  16. current — of water
  17. spring — of water
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. rock — a stone
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. last — finally
  22. charge — electricity
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. tube — a container

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