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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 120 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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. key — the most important part
  4. court — for sport
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. charge — electricity
  7. current — happening now
  8. court — of a king
  9. current — electric
  10. row — a line
  11. chip — for betting
  12. chip — to eat
  13. kid — to tease
  14. kid — child
  15. charge — a price
  16. key — for a lock
  17. row — to paddle
  18. current — of water
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. key — in music
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. court — of law
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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