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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 tickets are free of ________________.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. ground — crushed
  5. charge — in control
  6. current — happening now
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. vault — a safe
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. court — for sport
  12. squash — to crush
  13. charge — electricity
  14. court — of a king
  15. current — electric
  16. court — of law
  17. ground — the earth
  18. date — the fruit
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. squash — the sport
  21. current — of water
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. ground — a position

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