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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. pop — to visit
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. race — the arms race
  7. bulb — for light
  8. pound — a weight
  9. current — electric
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bank — for money
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. race — a contest
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. current — happening now
  19. pop — music
  20. bank — of a river
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. pop — soda
  23. bank — for money
  24. race — humankind

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