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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 did you ________________ them?
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. mug — a cup
  4. mug — a face
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. current — electric
  7. charge — in control
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. charge — electricity
  11. charge — a price
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. shower — rain
  14. shower — to wash
  15. firm — decided
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. game — a match
  18. current — of water
  19. firm — a company
  20. current — happening now
  21. game — wild animals
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. firm — steady
  24. deal — to handle

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