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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 light ________________ burned out.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. spell — letters
  3. current — of water
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. stand — to bear
  7. club — for golf
  8. degree — temperature
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. degree — from a university
  11. staff — employees
  12. club — a group
  13. bulb — for light
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. current — electric
  16. staff — a stick
  17. spell — magic
  18. spell — a short time
  19. club — for dancing
  20. current — happening now
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. staff — employees
  23. degree — an amount
  24. bulb — of a plant

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