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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 ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. current — happening now
  3. charge — electricity
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. current — electric
  6. ground — a position
  7. can — a tin
  8. charge — a price
  9. charge — in control
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. ball — a dance
  12. ground — crushed
  13. clip — for paper
  14. can — a tin
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. current — of water
  17. clip — to cut
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. clip — a video
  21. fine — all right
  22. ball — a great time
  23. fine — high quality
  24. can — to be able to

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