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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. bore — to tire
  3. kid — child
  4. tube — the underground
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. charge — in control
  8. squash — the sport
  9. bore — to drill
  10. kid — to tease
  11. charge — a price
  12. court — of a king
  13. court — of law
  14. squash — to crush
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. charge — electricity
  17. key — for a lock
  18. tube — a container
  19. key — the most important part
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. current — electric
  22. current — happening now
  23. court — for sport
  24. key — in music

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