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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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. bulb — for light
  4. charge — electricity
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. root — of a word
  7. charge — in control
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. bank — for money
  11. bank — for money
  12. current — of water
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. root — the cause
  16. charge — a price
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. root — of a plant
  19. current — happening now
  20. current — electric
  21. bulb — for light
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. bank — of a river
  24. date — the fruit

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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