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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 120 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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. current — happening now
  3. cell — a phone
  4. bulb — for light
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. field — a subject
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. object — to protest
  12. scale — in music
  13. cell — in biology
  14. bore — to tire
  15. current — electric
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. scale — size or range
  18. bore — to drill
  19. field — farmland
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. field — for sport
  23. object — a thing
  24. object — an aim

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