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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. current — of water
  3. current — happening now
  4. game — wild animals
  5. bass — the fish
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. mug — a cup
  9. current — electric
  10. present — the time now
  11. present — a gift
  12. bulb — for light
  13. plane — a tool
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. bass — low music
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. bulb — for light
  19. game — a match
  20. mug — a face
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. present — there
  23. mug — to rob
  24. pitcher — a jug

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