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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 King held a masked ________________.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. charge — in control
  5. mark — a grade
  6. foot — a measure
  7. ball — a great time
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. shower — to wash
  10. mark — a trace
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. charge — a price
  13. hand — help
  14. current — happening now
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. shower — rain
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. current — of water
  19. hand — in cards
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. current — electric
  23. charge — electricity
  24. chair — a leader

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