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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 124 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 my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. track — a song
  3. current — happening now
  4. charge — electricity
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. tube — the underground
  8. squash — the sport
  9. current — electric
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. pitch — completely
  12. spring — a coil
  13. tube — a container
  14. squash — to crush
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. charge — a price
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. snap — to click
  20. track — a path
  21. spring — the season
  22. track — to keep track
  23. spring — of water
  24. current — of water

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