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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. current — happening now
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bulb — for light
  5. scale — in music
  6. kid — child
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. bear — the animal
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. kid — to tease
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. charge — electricity
  16. ball — a dance
  17. bear — the animal
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. charge — a price
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. current — of water
  22. charge — in control
  23. scale — size or range
  24. current — electric

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