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

Word bank: chair · deal · mouse · rest · stick · current · charge · vault

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. deal — to handle
  4. rest — what's left
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. charge — electricity
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. charge — a price
  13. current — happening now
  14. current — electric
  15. rest — what's left
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. current — of water
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. chair — a leader
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. vault — a safe
  23. charge — in control
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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