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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: charge · rule · bulb · kid · row · craft · fine · mouse

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. charge — electricity
  3. bulb — for light
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. fine — high quality
  7. row — to paddle
  8. rule — a law
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. craft — boats
  11. fine — all right
  12. kid — to tease
  13. charge — a price
  14. row — a line
  15. craft — a skill
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. charge — in control
  20. bulb — for light
  21. kid — child
  22. rule — government
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. rule — to rule out

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