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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 120 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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. bulb — for light
  3. current — electric
  4. bass — low music
  5. current — of water
  6. bulb — for light
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. bass — the fish
  9. current — happening now
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. pass — a permit
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. row — a line
  22. row — to paddle
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. racket — a loud noise

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