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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. stem — to come from
  3. current — happening now
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. club — for golf
  6. bass — the fish
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. present — a gift
  9. wind — moving air
  10. present — the time now
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bulb — for light
  14. current — of water
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. current — electric
  17. wind — moving air
  18. bass — low music
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. club — for dancing
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. club — a group
  24. present — there

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