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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: charge · mine · current · fan · content · mouse · pound · bowl

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. pound — a weight
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. charge — in control
  7. content — the amount
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. content — happy
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. current — of water
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. current — electric
  19. charge — a price
  20. current — happening now
  21. mine — for digging
  22. charge — electricity
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. mouse — for a computer

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