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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. charge — in control
  3. current — happening now
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. clip — a video
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. clip — for paper
  8. bulb — for light
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. bore — to drill
  11. bulb — for light
  12. clip — to cut
  13. swing — to play on
  14. chair — a leader
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. current — electric
  18. swing — music
  19. bore — to tire
  20. charge — a price
  21. charge — electricity
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. swing — in golf
  24. current — of water

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