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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. ball — a dance
  4. ball — a great time
  5. pound — a weight
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. cell — a phone
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. key — the most important part
  10. bulb — for light
  11. key — in music
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. chair — a leader
  16. current — electric
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. cell — in biology
  21. current — of water
  22. key — for a lock
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. current — happening now

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