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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. mate — a friend
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. current — happening now
  6. spring — the season
  7. spring — of water
  8. rule — a law
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. bulb — for light
  11. spring — a coil
  12. bulb — for light
  13. rule — government
  14. row — a line
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. mate — a partner
  19. row — to paddle
  20. current — electric
  21. current — of water
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. mate — to breed
  24. rule — to rule out

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