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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. file — a tool
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. hand — help
  5. pit — a hole
  6. current — electric
  7. current — of water
  8. current — happening now
  9. charge — electricity
  10. game — a match
  11. game — wild animals
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. pit — in a race
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. file — a document
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. charge — a price
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. chair — a leader
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. charge — in control
  24. file — a line of people

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