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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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. current — of water
  4. track — a path
  5. track — a song
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. bulb — for light
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. track — to keep track
  11. stem — to come from
  12. current — electric
  13. lie — to recline
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. bulb — for light
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. current — happening now
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. fan — a supporter

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