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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 kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. current — happening now
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. current — electric
  5. scale — in music
  6. spring — the season
  7. face — part of the head
  8. current — of water
  9. can — to be able to
  10. face — to point toward
  11. spring — a coil
  12. bulb — for light
  13. can — a tin
  14. cue — for pool
  15. spring — of water
  16. wound — an injury
  17. cue — a hint
  18. can — a tin
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. bulb — for light
  21. face — to confront
  22. scale — size or range
  23. cue — a signal
  24. wound — an injury

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