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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. can — a tin
  5. bulb — for light
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. rule — government
  8. perch — the fish
  9. court — for sport
  10. current — happening now
  11. rule — a law
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. last — to go on
  14. can — to be able to
  15. current — electric
  16. can — a tin
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. last — final
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. bat — the animal
  21. last — finally
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. court — of law
  24. court — of a king

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