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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: game · bulb · rash · ball · pop · current · coach · wake

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. rash — a series
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. ball — a dance
  8. rash — hasty
  9. ball — a great time
  10. game — wild animals
  11. current — electric
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. pop — to visit
  14. game — a match
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. pop — soda
  18. wake — a trail
  19. pop — music
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bulb — for light
  22. current — happening now
  23. current — of water
  24. coach — a trainer

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