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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. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. charge — electricity
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. court — of a king
  6. current — happening now
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. kid — to tease
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. kid — child
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. charge — a price
  15. charge — in control
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. court — for sport
  19. current — of water
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. court — of law
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. current — electric

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