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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: bass · bulb · arm · bat · court · current · cell · present

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. bass — low music
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. present — the time now
  6. current — of water
  7. cell — a phone
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. present — a gift
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. bat — the animal
  14. bulb — for light
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. court — for sport
  17. bass — the fish
  18. court — of law
  19. present — there
  20. current — electric
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. cell — in biology
  23. court — of a king
  24. bulb — for light

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