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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 · trunk · stick · cue · current · shower · kid · charge

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. current — of water
  3. charge — in control
  4. kid — to tease
  5. current — electric
  6. charge — electricity
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. kid — child
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. current — happening now
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. ball — a dance
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. ball — a great time
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. cue — a signal
  19. cue — for pool
  20. shower — to wash
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. cue — a hint
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. shower — rain

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