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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. key — in music
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. firm — decided
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. charge — a price
  7. current — of water
  8. key — for a lock
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. firm — steady
  12. current — happening now
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. charge — in control
  16. current — electric
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. firm — a company
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. cue — a hint
  22. key — the most important part
  23. cue — for pool
  24. cue — a signal

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