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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. swing — in golf
  3. current — of water
  4. charge — in control
  5. branch — a division
  6. current — happening now
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. bulb — for light
  9. march — the month
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. swing — music
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. court — of a king
  14. bulb — for light
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. charge — electricity
  17. march — music
  18. swing — to play on
  19. current — electric
  20. court — of law
  21. court — for sport
  22. march — the month
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. charge — a price

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