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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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. current — happening now
  3. ball — a great time
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. bulb — for light
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. perch — the fish
  11. wax — to grow
  12. bulb — for light
  13. pound — a weight
  14. ball — a dance
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. current — of water
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. current — electric
  23. pitch — completely
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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