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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. chip — to eat
  5. spell — a short time
  6. bulb — for light
  7. current — of water
  8. bulb — for light
  9. spell — letters
  10. current — electric
  11. pitch — completely
  12. current — happening now
  13. chip — for betting
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. chest — of your body
  16. charge — a price
  17. court — for sport
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. court — of a king
  20. charge — in control
  21. chest — of your body
  22. spell — magic
  23. chest — a box
  24. court — of law

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