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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 120 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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. present — there
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. branch — a division
  5. bulb — for light
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. board — a committee
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. wake — a trail
  10. net — after costs
  11. net — for catching
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. board — to get on
  15. net — in sport
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. ball — a great time
  18. current — of water
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. ball — a dance
  21. current — electric
  22. present — the time now
  23. bulb — for light
  24. present — a gift

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