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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. court — of law
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. bore — to tire
  8. bat — the animal
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. current — electric
  12. court — for sport
  13. current — happening now
  14. bulb — for light
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. court — of a king
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. chair — a leader
  20. current — of water
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. bore — to drill
  24. mouse — the animal

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