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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. track — a path
  3. bulb — for light
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. current — of water
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. pitch — completely
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. club — a group
  11. fall — the season
  12. branch — a division
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. current — happening now
  15. track — a song
  16. current — electric
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. fall — to drop
  19. track — to keep track
  20. fall — to drop
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. dip — to sink
  23. club — for dancing
  24. club — for golf

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