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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. current — of water
  5. prune — to trim
  6. pop — soda
  7. pop — music
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. prune — to trim
  12. rush — hurry
  13. bulb — for light
  14. wake — a trail
  15. pop — to visit
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bass — the fish
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. squash — the sport
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. current — electric
  23. bass — low music
  24. squash — to crush

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