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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. court — of law
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. track — a song
  6. current — electric
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. court — for sport
  10. court — of a king
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. rule — government
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. current — happening now
  18. track — to keep track
  19. rule — a law
  20. pitch — completely
  21. track — a path
  22. bulb — for light
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. current — of water

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