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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 120 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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. charge — in control
  3. current — electric
  4. field — farmland
  5. bulb — for light
  6. current — happening now
  7. field — a subject
  8. bulb — for light
  9. charge — electricity
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. charge — a price
  14. court — of law
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. court — of a king
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. file — a tool
  19. current — of water
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. file — a line of people
  23. court — for sport
  24. field — for sport

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