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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. craft — boats
  3. court — for sport
  4. shower — to wash
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. current — happening now
  7. staff — employees
  8. court — of law
  9. craft — a skill
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. court — of a king
  12. staff — employees
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. current — electric
  15. press — a publisher
  16. band — a ring
  17. current — of water
  18. press — to push
  19. staff — a stick
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bulb — for light
  22. press — newspapers
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. band — a music group

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