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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 light ________________ burned out.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. pit — in a race
  4. current — happening now
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. clip — for paper
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. fine — all right
  10. clip — to cut
  11. clip — a video
  12. current — electric
  13. mug — to rob
  14. ground — crushed
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. ground — a position
  17. ground — the earth
  18. current — of water
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. mug — a cup
  21. bulb — for light
  22. mug — a face
  23. pit — a hole
  24. fine — high quality

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