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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: current · bulb · wake · chest · shower · deal · rock · pit

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. deal — to handle
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bulb — for light
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. chest — of your body
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. pit — in a race
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. chest — of your body
  13. rock — a stone
  14. chest — a box
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. shower — to wash
  17. current — happening now
  18. rock — music
  19. shower — rain
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. wake — a trail
  22. current — of water
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. pit — a hole

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