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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 pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. cap — of ice
  5. pass — a permit
  6. cap — a hat
  7. cap — a lid
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. current — electric
  10. bound — obliged
  11. game — a match
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bound — certain
  15. bound — tied together
  16. current — happening now
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. staff — employees
  19. current — of water
  20. bulb — for light
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. staff — a stick
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. staff — employees

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