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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: ground · object · nail · staff · chair · bulb · cold · current

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  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. bulb — for light
  2. cold — not warm
  3. object — to protest
  4. bulb — for light
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. object — a thing
  7. cold — an illness
  8. chair — a leader
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. ground — the earth
  12. current — happening now
  13. object — an aim
  14. ground — crushed
  15. ground — a position
  16. current — electric
  17. staff — employees
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. staff — employees
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. current — of water
  22. staff — a stick
  23. nail — on a finger
  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