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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 King held a masked ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. bulb — for light
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. current — happening now
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. march — the month
  10. rock — music
  11. bulb — for light
  12. wake — a trail
  13. march — music
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. march — the month
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. current — electric
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. ball — a great time
  21. current — of water
  22. branch — a division
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. rock — a stone

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