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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. charge — electricity
  3. race — the arms race
  4. race — humankind
  5. bulb — for light
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. swing — in golf
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. bulb — for light
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. race — a contest
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. date — the fruit
  14. swing — to play on
  15. charge — a price
  16. swing — music
  17. current — of water
  18. current — happening now
  19. bass — the fish
  20. charge — in control
  21. current — electric
  22. foot — a measure
  23. bass — low music
  24. bulb — of a plant

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