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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. stock — shares
  4. bulb — for light
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. tube — a container
  7. cap — a hat
  8. tube — the underground
  9. current — electric
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. bulb — for light
  13. pound — a weight
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. current — happening now
  17. swing — to play on
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. current — of water
  20. cap — a lid
  21. stock — goods
  22. swing — in golf
  23. cap — of ice
  24. bulb — of a plant

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