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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: charge · current · lie · mine · court · club · cabinet · rash

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. lie — to recline
  3. club — for golf
  4. mine — for digging
  5. charge — in control
  6. charge — electricity
  7. rash — hasty
  8. rash — a series
  9. charge — a price
  10. current — of water
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. court — of a king
  15. club — for dancing
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. current — electric
  19. current — happening now
  20. court — for sport
  21. court — of law
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. lie — an untruth

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