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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. squash — the sport
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. march — the month
  5. bound — certain
  6. current — happening now
  7. ground — crushed
  8. bound — obliged
  9. ground — a position
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. squash — to crush
  14. current — of water
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. march — music
  17. bark — to shout
  18. bound — tied together
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. march — the month
  22. ground — the earth
  23. bulb — for light
  24. temple — a place of worship

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