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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've got to change the light ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. rush — hurry
  5. current — electric
  6. swing — to play on
  7. swing — music
  8. tube — the underground
  9. bass — the fish
  10. swing — in golf
  11. roll — a cake
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. bass — low music
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. current — happening now
  17. current — of water
  18. bulb — for light
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. tube — a container
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. roll — a list

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