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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. stand — to bear
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. mark — a trace
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. mark — a grade
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. shower — rain
  15. shower — to wash
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. mine — for digging
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. current — happening now
  22. current — of water
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bulb — for light

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