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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 120 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: current · kid · charge · swing · rock · mug · cell · court

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. kid — child
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. court — for sport
  5. mug — a cup
  6. court — of a king
  7. swing — in golf
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. swing — music
  10. cell — in biology
  11. current — electric
  12. current — happening now
  13. mug — to rob
  14. rock — a stone
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. kid — to tease
  17. cell — a phone
  18. charge — a price
  19. current — of water
  20. charge — in control
  21. swing — to play on
  22. mug — a face
  23. rock — music
  24. charge — electricity

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