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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 120 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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. current — happening now
  3. cue — a signal
  4. charge — a price
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. charge — in control
  7. cue — for pool
  8. tear — to rip
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. current — electric
  11. game — wild animals
  12. cue — a hint
  13. board — a committee
  14. game — a match
  15. board — to get on
  16. chest — of your body
  17. bulb — for light
  18. charge — electricity
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. bulb — for light
  21. current — of water
  22. chest — of your body
  23. tear — from crying
  24. tear — from crying

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