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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. spring — a coil
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. spring — the season
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. bulb — for light
  9. tube — the underground
  10. tube — a container
  11. court — for sport
  12. current — of water
  13. firm — a company
  14. court — of a king
  15. court — of law
  16. mark — a trace
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. firm — decided
  19. mark — a grade
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. perch — the fish
  22. current — happening now
  23. current — electric
  24. spring — of water

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