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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 · court · current · rest · deal · mug · charge · chest

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. court — of a king
  3. chest — a box
  4. charge — electricity
  5. charge — a price
  6. rest — what's left
  7. court — for sport
  8. deal — to handle
  9. rest — what's left
  10. current — electric
  11. current — happening now
  12. chest — of your body
  13. current — of water
  14. rest — a break
  15. mug — a face
  16. court — of law
  17. mug — a cup
  18. mug — to rob
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bulb — for light
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. chest — of your body
  24. charge — in control

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