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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. object — a thing
  3. current — electric
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. bear — the animal
  7. wind — moving air
  8. object — to protest
  9. current — happening now
  10. mine — for digging
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. object — an aim
  13. bulb — for light
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. current — of water
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. scale — size or range
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. bear — the animal
  23. scale — in music
  24. wind — moving air

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