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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. march — the month
  3. current — electric
  4. ball — a dance
  5. wind — moving air
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. march — music
  8. mine — for digging
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. bulb — for light
  11. current — of water
  12. can — to be able to
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. wind — moving air
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. can — a tin
  17. race — the arms race
  18. bulb — for light
  19. current — happening now
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. race — humankind
  22. ball — a great time
  23. march — the month
  24. race — a contest

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