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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 people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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. ruler — a monarch
  4. bat — the animal
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. rock — a stone
  7. capital — a city
  8. bulb — for light
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. rock — music
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. current — electric
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. land — a country
  18. land — to come down
  19. capital — money
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. current — happening now
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. land — ground

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