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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. current — of water
  3. ball — a great time
  4. bulb — for light
  5. current — happening now
  6. ball — a dance
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bark — to shout
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. ground — crushed
  12. ground — a position
  13. bat — the animal
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. current — electric
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. ground — the earth
  22. bear — the animal
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. cabinet — ministers

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