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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. bulb — for light
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. cap — a hat
  5. charge — in control
  6. pitch — completely
  7. kick — in football
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. current — of water
  10. fine — high quality
  11. current — happening now
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. cap — of ice
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. cap — a lid
  16. current — electric
  17. charge — electricity
  18. charge — a price
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. bulb — for light
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. straw — dry grass

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