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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 124 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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. fine — all right
  3. fine — high quality
  4. pop — to visit
  5. mark — a trace
  6. vault — a safe
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. pop — soda
  9. spell — letters
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. bass — low music
  12. bulb — for light
  13. current — of water
  14. spell — a short time
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. mark — a grade
  17. current — happening now
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bass — the fish
  21. current — electric
  22. spell — magic
  23. pop — music
  24. fine — a penalty

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