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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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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've got to change the light ________________.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. wind — moving air
  5. bulb — for light
  6. current — electric
  7. track — to keep track
  8. bear — the animal
  9. cue — a hint
  10. cue — a signal
  11. staff — employees
  12. current — happening now
  13. track — a song
  14. staff — a stick
  15. ground — a position
  16. cue — for pool
  17. staff — employees
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. ground — the earth
  20. bear — the animal
  21. track — a path
  22. ground — crushed
  23. current — of water
  24. wind — moving air

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