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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 116 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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. current — of water
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. current — happening now
  5. file — a line of people
  6. court — of a king
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. swing — to play on
  10. court — for sport
  11. firm — steady
  12. bore — to tire
  13. swing — music
  14. bulb — for light
  15. swing — in golf
  16. firm — a company
  17. bulb — for light
  18. current — electric
  19. file — a document
  20. stem — to come from
  21. file — a tool
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. bore — to drill
  24. court — of law

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