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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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. race — a contest
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bat — the animal
  6. current — happening now
  7. current — electric
  8. pop — to visit
  9. clip — a video
  10. race — humankind
  11. clip — for paper
  12. race — the arms race
  13. bulb — for light
  14. current — of water
  15. suit — to fit
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. pop — soda
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. clip — to cut
  21. suit — clothes
  22. suit — in cards
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. pop — music

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