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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. present — there
  3. current — of water
  4. bulb — for light
  5. pit — in a race
  6. land — a country
  7. present — the time now
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. last — to go on
  10. bulb — for light
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. fine — all right
  13. deal — to handle
  14. fine — high quality
  15. pit — a hole
  16. current — electric
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. last — finally
  19. present — a gift
  20. land — ground
  21. current — happening now
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. last — final

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