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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: ball · straw · charge · foot · jam · date · ground · current

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. ground — crushed
  4. current — of water
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. ball — a great time
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. charge — electricity
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. date — the fruit
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. ground — a position
  15. ball — a dance
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. current — electric
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. foot — a measure
  21. ground — the earth
  22. charge — in control
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. current — happening now

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