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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. pop — to visit
  4. bat — the animal
  5. bulb — for light
  6. last — finally
  7. current — happening now
  8. last — final
  9. pop — soda
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. ball — a great time
  14. last — to go on
  15. stand — to bear
  16. craft — boats
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. pop — music
  19. current — electric
  20. current — of water
  21. bulb — for light
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. craft — a skill
  24. stand — on your feet

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