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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 ________________ took off on time.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. current — electric
  3. bulb — for light
  4. current — of water
  5. branch — a division
  6. last — finally
  7. bulb — for light
  8. last — to go on
  9. plane — a tool
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. bass — the fish
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. last — final
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. current — happening now
  20. bat — the animal
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. pitch — completely
  24. bass — low music

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