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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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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: mouse · charge · game · saw · current · scale · ground · bear

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. current — electric
  4. scale — in music
  5. bear — the animal
  6. scale — size or range
  7. charge — a price
  8. current — happening now
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. current — of water
  12. charge — electricity
  13. ground — a position
  14. game — a match
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. charge — in control
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. game — wild animals
  20. ground — crushed
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. bear — the animal
  23. saw — the tool
  24. ground — the earth

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