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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: bulb · wake · last · hand · scale · ball · game · current

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  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. scale — for weighing
  2. game — a match
  3. current — of water
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. ball — a dance
  6. bulb — for light
  7. game — wild animals
  8. ball — a great time
  9. scale — in music
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. scale — size or range
  12. last — final
  13. last — finally
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. current — electric
  16. wake — a trail
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. last — to go on
  19. hand — in cards
  20. current — happening now
  21. hand — help
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. bulb — for light
  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