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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. charge — a price
  3. fine — high quality
  4. charge — in control
  5. current — electric
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. last — finally
  9. fine — all right
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. cold — an illness
  12. last — to go on
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. current — happening now
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. current — of water
  17. pop — music
  18. cold — not warm
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. charge — electricity
  21. last — final
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. pop — soda
  24. bay — a part of the sea

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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