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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: current · cabinet · bulb · toast · cold · season · pit · bore

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. current — electric
  3. cold — not warm
  4. cold — an illness
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. season — in sport
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. pit — a hole
  10. toast — bread
  11. season — of the year
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. bore — to drill
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. current — of water
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. bore — to tire
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. bulb — for light
  22. pit — in a race
  23. current — happening now
  24. season — to add flavour

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