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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 124 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 would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. chest — a box
  3. club — for dancing
  4. current — electric
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. rest — what's left
  8. bulb — for light
  9. rock — a stone
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. club — a group
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. chest — of your body
  15. club — for golf
  16. rock — music
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. current — of water
  19. bark — to shout
  20. rest — what's left
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. bulb — for light
  23. chest — of your body
  24. current — happening now

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