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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. current — of water
  3. court — of a king
  4. wound — an injury
  5. current — happening now
  6. wound — an injury
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. current — electric
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. track — a path
  11. cue — a signal
  12. wind — moving air
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. wind — moving air
  15. track — to keep track
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. court — of law
  18. cue — a hint
  19. cue — for pool
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. bulb — for light
  23. track — a song
  24. court — for sport

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