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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 116 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 · tear · ground · last · charge · deal · pound · vault

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. current — of water
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. charge — a price
  5. charge — electricity
  6. ground — crushed
  7. tear — from crying
  8. charge — in control
  9. tear — to rip
  10. pound — a weight
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. ground — a position
  13. vault — a safe
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. tear — from crying
  16. current — electric
  17. ground — the earth
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. last — finally
  20. last — to go on
  21. last — final
  22. current — happening now
  23. deal — to handle
  24. pound — to hit hard

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