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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. current — of water
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. net — for catching
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bound — certain
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. net — in sport
  9. net — after costs
  10. bound — tied together
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. bulb — for light
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. bat — the animal
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. current — happening now
  20. chair — a leader
  21. foot — a measure
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. current — electric

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