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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. pass — a permit
  3. bear — the animal
  4. rush — hurry
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. scale — size or range
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bear — the animal
  12. capital — money
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. current — happening now
  15. wind — moving air
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. current — of water
  19. capital — a city
  20. wind — moving air
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. bulb — for light
  23. scale — in music
  24. scale — for weighing

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