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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've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. current — happening now
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. fine — high quality
  5. game — wild animals
  6. present — there
  7. present — the time now
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. last — to go on
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. last — final
  12. present — a gift
  13. fine — all right
  14. current — of water
  15. bulb — for light
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. band — a ring
  18. band — a music group
  19. current — electric
  20. toast — bread
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. game — a match
  23. last — finally
  24. bulb — 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