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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: current · charge · bulb · kid · rash · tube · racket · pitcher

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. current — happening now
  3. bulb — for light
  4. rash — a series
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. charge — in control
  9. tube — the underground
  10. current — electric
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. charge — a price
  15. rash — hasty
  16. bulb — for light
  17. tube — a container
  18. current — of water
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. kid — child
  23. kid — to tease
  24. pitcher — a jug

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