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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. ball — a dance
  4. march — music
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. current — happening now
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. stand — to bear
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. current — electric
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. current — of water
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. march — the month
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. bulb — for light
  23. march — the month
  24. bulb — for light

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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