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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. charge — electricity
  3. field — for sport
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. field — a subject
  6. court — of law
  7. current — electric
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. rule — government
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. court — of a king
  12. charge — a price
  13. charge — in control
  14. mine — for digging
  15. bass — the fish
  16. current — happening now
  17. rule — a law
  18. bass — low music
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. current — of water
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. court — for sport
  24. field — farmland

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