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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. spell — a short time
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. net — in sport
  5. spell — letters
  6. net — for catching
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. track — a path
  9. current — electric
  10. charge — electricity
  11. track — a song
  12. net — after costs
  13. present — a gift
  14. current — of water
  15. current — happening now
  16. bulb — for light
  17. track — to keep track
  18. present — there
  19. spell — magic
  20. charge — a price
  21. charge — in control
  22. cell — in biology
  23. bulb — for light
  24. cell — a phone

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