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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. current — happening now
  3. race — the arms race
  4. bulb — for light
  5. race — humankind
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. rush — hurry
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. wound — an injury
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. firm — decided
  13. firm — steady
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. bulb — for light
  16. current — of water
  17. band — a ring
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. firm — a company
  20. current — electric
  21. band — a music group
  22. race — a contest
  23. pitch — completely
  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