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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: ball · roll · pop · chest · racket · current · charge · mug

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. charge — a price
  3. chest — of your body
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. roll — a cake
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. pop — soda
  8. chest — a box
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. charge — in control
  11. mug — a face
  12. roll — a list
  13. ball — a dance
  14. current — electric
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. mug — a cup
  17. pop — to visit
  18. chest — of your body
  19. mug — to rob
  20. current — happening now
  21. charge — electricity
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. current — of water
  24. pop — music

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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