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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. race — a contest
  3. bulb — for light
  4. cue — for pool
  5. race — humankind
  6. prune — to trim
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. prune — to trim
  9. current — happening now
  10. race — the arms race
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. last — final
  13. present — the time now
  14. cue — a hint
  15. last — to go on
  16. cue — a signal
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. current — electric
  21. present — there
  22. last — finally
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. current — 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