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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. charge — in control
  3. game — wild animals
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. tear — from crying
  6. prune — to trim
  7. current — of water
  8. current — electric
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. rock — a stone
  11. charge — a price
  12. pop — music
  13. pop — soda
  14. ball — a great time
  15. pop — to visit
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. prune — to trim
  18. rock — music
  19. current — happening now
  20. tear — from crying
  21. ball — a dance
  22. tear — to rip
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. game — a match

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