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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. root — of a word
  5. current — of water
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. band — a music group
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. pop — to visit
  11. pound — a weight
  12. root — of a plant
  13. pit — a hole
  14. pit — in a race
  15. pop — music
  16. bulb — for light
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. current — electric
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. root — the cause
  21. pop — soda
  22. band — a ring
  23. current — happening now
  24. band — a rubber band

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