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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. current — electric
  3. current — of water
  4. clip — for paper
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. clip — a video
  7. bulb — for light
  8. craft — boats
  9. current — happening now
  10. bulb — for light
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. scale — size or range
  14. clip — to cut
  15. scale — in music
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. cell — in biology
  20. dip — to sink
  21. cell — a phone
  22. craft — a skill
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. craft — a handicraft

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