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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: bulb · hand · charge · court · pit · face · current · bark

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. face — to confront
  3. bulb — for light
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. pit — a hole
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. hand — help
  8. bark — to shout
  9. hand — in cards
  10. court — of law
  11. current — electric
  12. face — part of the head
  13. current — happening now
  14. pit — in a race
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. bulb — for light
  17. charge — in control
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. current — of water
  20. charge — a price
  21. charge — electricity
  22. face — to point toward
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. court — for sport

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