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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. current — electric
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. bulb — for light
  6. staff — a stick
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. staff — employees
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. season — in sport
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. date — the fruit
  13. staff — employees
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. bulb — for light
  16. season — of the year
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. current — happening now
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. current — of water
  21. pound — a weight
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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