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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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. current — of water
  4. current — electric
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. bear — the animal
  7. present — there
  8. kid — to tease
  9. present — the time now
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. charge — electricity
  12. charge — a price
  13. chip — to eat
  14. bear — the animal
  15. current — happening now
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. kid — child
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. present — a gift
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. charge — in control
  23. chip — for betting
  24. chip — in a computer

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