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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. file — a document
  3. charge — a price
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. bound — certain
  7. rock — music
  8. bat — the animal
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. current — happening now
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. file — a tool
  14. current — of water
  15. file — a line of people
  16. bound — obliged
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. bound — tied together
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. rock — a stone
  22. current — electric
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. charge — electricity

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