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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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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 · charge · court · deal · stand · snap · pitcher · race

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. charge — in control
  3. current — electric
  4. stand — to bear
  5. deal — to handle
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. current — happening now
  8. charge — a price
  9. race — a contest
  10. race — humankind
  11. snap — to click
  12. court — of a king
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. charge — electricity
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. current — of water
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. court — of law
  21. court — for sport
  22. race — the arms race
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. stand — on your feet

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