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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  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. bowl — a football final
  2. charge — in control
  3. face — part of the head
  4. current — electric
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. game — a match
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. bulb — for light
  9. current — happening now
  10. face — to confront
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. face — to point toward
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. game — wild animals
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. charge — a price
  23. charge — electricity
  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