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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 116 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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. bass — low music
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. stem — to come from
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. staff — a stick
  8. current — of water
  9. bass — the fish
  10. bulb — for light
  11. pit — in a race
  12. bulb — for light
  13. track — a song
  14. track — to keep track
  15. fork — in a road
  16. staff — employees
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. staff — employees
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. track — a path
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. current — electric
  23. current — happening now
  24. stem — 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