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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. prune — to trim
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. cue — a hint
  5. season — in sport
  6. land — to come down
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. bulb — for light
  14. land — ground
  15. rush — hurry
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. land — a country
  18. prune — to trim
  19. cue — a signal
  20. season — of the year
  21. cue — for pool
  22. bulb — for light
  23. current — happening now
  24. current — electric

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