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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. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. present — a gift
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. clip — a video
  10. bulb — for light
  11. current — happening now
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. current — electric
  14. roll — a cake
  15. present — the time now
  16. current — of water
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. bass — low music
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bass — the fish
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. present — there
  23. clip — for paper
  24. clip — to cut

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