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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. charge — a price
  3. prune — to trim
  4. charge — in control
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. current — electric
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. kid — child
  9. rest — what's left
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. can — a tin
  12. current — of water
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. can — a tin
  16. rest — what's left
  17. prune — to trim
  18. charge — electricity
  19. current — happening now
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. mine — for digging
  22. rest — a break
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. kid — to tease

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