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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 was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. current — electric
  3. bulb — for light
  4. current — of water
  5. scale — size or range
  6. march — music
  7. march — the month
  8. march — the month
  9. current — happening now
  10. deal — to handle
  11. ball — a dance
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. cell — a phone
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. cell — in biology
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. bulb — for light
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. scale — in music

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