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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. current — electric
  4. mate — a friend
  5. court — for sport
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. current — of water
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. fall — to drop
  12. mate — a partner
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. charge — a price
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bear — the animal
  17. mate — to breed
  18. charge — electricity
  19. current — happening now
  20. fall — to drop
  21. court — of a king
  22. court — of law
  23. fall — the season
  24. leaves — to go away

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