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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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. squash — the sport
  3. bulb — for light
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. current — happening now
  9. current — of water
  10. clip — a video
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. squash — to crush
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. bass — low music
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bass — the fish
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. clip — to cut
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. current — electric
  23. date — the fruit
  24. mouse — the animal

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