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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. bulb — for light
  3. club — for dancing
  4. pop — music
  5. club — for golf
  6. club — a group
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. pop — soda
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. deal — to handle
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. current — electric
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. stand — to bear
  18. bulb — for light
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. current — happening now
  21. current — of water
  22. bat — the animal
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. pop — to visit

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