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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. row — a line
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. court — for sport
  7. rock — music
  8. current — of water
  9. rock — a stone
  10. court — of law
  11. bulb — for light
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. wind — moving air
  14. row — to paddle
  15. ball — a dance
  16. court — of a king
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. bulb — for light
  19. wind — moving air
  20. current — happening now
  21. current — electric
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. ball — a great time

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