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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. bulb — for light
  3. current — of water
  4. current — happening now
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. firm — steady
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. prune — to trim
  9. kid — to tease
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. kid — child
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. chair — a leader
  14. firm — a company
  15. firm — decided
  16. bulb — for light
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. tube — a container
  22. tube — the underground
  23. prune — to trim
  24. bulb — of a plant

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