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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. bulb — for light
  3. swing — in golf
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. current — of water
  8. current — electric
  9. net — in sport
  10. net — for catching
  11. spring — of water
  12. rule — a law
  13. swing — to play on
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. bulb — for light
  17. net — after costs
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. spring — a coil
  20. spring — the season
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. rule — government
  24. swing — music

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