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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. kick — in football
  3. rock — a stone
  4. bulb — for light
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. current — happening now
  9. current — electric
  10. file — a tool
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. file — a line of people
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. current — of water
  17. game — wild animals
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. game — a match
  20. stand — to bear
  21. file — a document
  22. bulb — for light
  23. rock — music
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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