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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. current — happening now
  3. bulb — for light
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. wake — a trail
  7. track — to keep track
  8. charge — in control
  9. charge — a price
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. court — of law
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. court — for sport
  15. charge — electricity
  16. scale — size or range
  17. track — a path
  18. court — of a king
  19. scale — in music
  20. current — of water
  21. track — a song
  22. lean — thin
  23. lean — to bend
  24. current — electric

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