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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. bulb — for light
  3. current — electric
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. current — happening now
  7. rock — music
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. squash — to crush
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. squash — the sport
  13. rock — a stone
  14. current — of water
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. net — for catching
  19. net — in sport
  20. pound — a weight
  21. tube — a container
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. net — after costs

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