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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 120 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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. fork — in a road
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. field — a subject
  6. shower — to wash
  7. staff — employees
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. race — a contest
  10. current — of water
  11. staff — a stick
  12. field — farmland
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. staff — employees
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. field — for sport
  19. current — happening now
  20. shower — rain
  21. current — electric
  22. race — humankind
  23. bulb — for light
  24. race — the arms race

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