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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. game — wild animals
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. current — electric
  7. bulb — for light
  8. current — happening now
  9. current — of water
  10. game — a match
  11. fall — the season
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. fall — to drop
  19. field — farmland
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. field — a subject
  22. fall — to drop
  23. field — for sport
  24. nail — on a finger

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