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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. stock — shares
  3. ball — a dance
  4. drill — army training
  5. drill — the tool
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. row — to paddle
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. current — happening now
  11. drill — a practice
  12. last — finally
  13. deal — to handle
  14. row — a line
  15. ball — a great time
  16. stock — goods
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. charge — electricity
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. current — electric
  21. last — to go on
  22. last — final
  23. current — of water
  24. charge — in control

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