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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 120 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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. track — to keep track
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. current — electric
  6. band — a ring
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. net — in sport
  9. net — after costs
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. band — a music group
  13. current — happening now
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. track — a path
  16. snap — to click
  17. bulb — for light
  18. net — for catching
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. track — a song
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. current — of water
  24. bulb — for light

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