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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 light ________________ burned out.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. current — of water
  4. ball — a dance
  5. current — electric
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. ball — a great time
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. pop — music
  10. fall — the season
  11. fall — to drop
  12. pop — soda
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. date — the fruit
  18. current — happening now
  19. mark — a grade
  20. pop — to visit
  21. fall — to drop
  22. mark — a trace
  23. bulb — for light
  24. calf — a young animal

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