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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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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 · bank · bear · ground · current · bat · net · race

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. bear — the animal
  4. current — electric
  5. race — the arms race
  6. bear — the animal
  7. ground — the earth
  8. bank — for money
  9. bank — of a river
  10. ground — a position
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. bank — for money
  14. current — happening now
  15. net — after costs
  16. race — humankind
  17. current — of water
  18. net — in sport
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. net — for catching
  22. bat — the animal
  23. race — a contest
  24. ground — crushed

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