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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. current — electric
  3. bulb — for light
  4. press — newspapers
  5. court — of a king
  6. current — happening now
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. court — of law
  9. court — for sport
  10. current — of water
  11. land — ground
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. pound — a weight
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. craft — boats
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. plane — a tool
  20. bulb — for light
  21. press — to push
  22. craft — a skill
  23. press — a publisher
  24. land — a country

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