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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 can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. ball — a dance
  3. court — of a king
  4. root — the cause
  5. court — for sport
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. bank — for money
  8. bulb — for light
  9. root — of a word
  10. current — happening now
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. charge — a price
  13. ball — a great time
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. root — of a plant
  18. bank — for money
  19. court — of law
  20. current — of water
  21. bank — of a river
  22. bulb — for light
  23. charge — in control
  24. current — electric

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