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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. charge — in control
  5. current — happening now
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. wax — to grow
  8. march — music
  9. march — the month
  10. track — to keep track
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. current — of water
  14. track — a path
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. game — a match
  17. charge — electricity
  18. charge — a price
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. march — the month
  21. current — electric
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. track — a song

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