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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. face — to confront
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. kick — in football
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. pop — music
  8. face — to point toward
  9. stock — goods
  10. charge — a price
  11. current — electric
  12. pop — to visit
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. current — of water
  16. pop — soda
  17. charge — electricity
  18. cap — a hat
  19. cap — of ice
  20. charge — in control
  21. stock — shares
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. cap — a lid
  24. face — part of the head

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