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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 was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. bulb — for light
  4. scale — in music
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. current — of water
  7. fall — the season
  8. net — in sport
  9. ball — a dance
  10. bass — the fish
  11. scale — size or range
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. fall — to drop
  15. bass — low music
  16. current — happening now
  17. fall — to drop
  18. net — for catching
  19. bulb — for light
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. current — electric
  23. net — after costs
  24. ruler — a monarch

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