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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. bulb — for light
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. band — a music group
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. pop — to visit
  12. pop — soda
  13. current — happening now
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. current — electric
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. band — a ring
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. sharp — clever
  20. row — a line
  21. pop — music
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. current — of water
  24. row — to paddle

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