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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. wind — moving air
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. swing — music
  5. race — a contest
  6. swing — in golf
  7. club — for golf
  8. current — happening now
  9. race — humankind
  10. wind — moving air
  11. bulb — for light
  12. current — electric
  13. race — the arms race
  14. swing — to play on
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. rock — a stone
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. club — a group
  21. bulb — for light
  22. rock — music
  23. current — of water
  24. club — for dancing

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