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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. charge — a price
  3. current — of water
  4. current — electric
  5. bound — obliged
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. stock — goods
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. charge — in control
  10. charge — electricity
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. game — a match
  13. bound — tied together
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. game — wild animals
  16. sharp — clever
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. season — of the year
  21. bound — certain
  22. season — in sport
  23. kick — in football
  24. stock — shares

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