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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 120 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: ground · charge · tube · cue · sharp · vault · wound · current

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. current — of water
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. current — happening now
  6. cue — a hint
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. vault — a safe
  9. ground — a position
  10. wound — an injury
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. current — electric
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. sharp — clever
  15. ground — the earth
  16. tube — the underground
  17. wound — an injury
  18. tube — a container
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. charge — a price
  21. cue — for pool
  22. ground — crushed
  23. charge — in control
  24. cue — a signal

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