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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. court — for sport
  3. charge — in control
  4. current — electric
  5. wound — an injury
  6. court — of law
  7. wind — moving air
  8. court — of a king
  9. march — the month
  10. charge — electricity
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. chip — for betting
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. chip — to eat
  17. march — music
  18. march — the month
  19. charge — a price
  20. wind — moving air
  21. wound — an injury
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. current — happening now
  24. current — of water

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