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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. season — of the year
  3. bulb — for light
  4. game — wild animals
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. current — happening now
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. bulb — for light
  10. pop — soda
  11. fall — to drop
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. season — in sport
  14. game — a match
  15. current — of water
  16. deal — to handle
  17. current — electric
  18. fall — the season
  19. pop — to visit
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. fall — to drop
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. leaves — of a tree

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