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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.

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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: pop · pound · bulb · swing · toast · shower · cabinet · current

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. bulb — for light
  3. pop — to visit
  4. pop — music
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. shower — to wash
  7. swing — in golf
  8. shower — rain
  9. pop — soda
  10. toast — bread
  11. swing — music
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. bulb — for light
  15. current — of water
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. pound — a weight
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. swing — to play on
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. current — electric
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. current — happening now

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