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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 116 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: net · bulb · current · pop · bay · shower · court · sharp

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. court — for sport
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. shower — rain
  6. net — after costs
  7. net — in sport
  8. court — of a king
  9. pop — to visit
  10. pop — soda
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. net — for catching
  13. current — happening now
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. bulb — for light
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. current — of water
  18. current — electric
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. sharp — clever
  21. court — of law
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. bulb — for light
  24. shower — to wash

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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