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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. bulb — for light
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. cell — a phone
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. bulb — for light
  8. staff — employees
  9. current — electric
  10. current — of water
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. prune — to trim
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. prune — to trim
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. scale — in music
  19. cell — in biology
  20. staff — employees
  21. current — happening now
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. scale — size or range

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