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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: rock · saw · squash · arm · current · can · charge · ball

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. squash — to crush
  3. ball — a dance
  4. can — a tin
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. current — happening now
  7. saw — the tool
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. current — of water
  10. charge — in control
  11. can — to be able to
  12. squash — the sport
  13. ball — a great time
  14. charge — electricity
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. charge — a price
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. current — electric
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. can — a tin
  22. rock — a stone
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. saw — the tool

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