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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: bulb · wound · pitch · plane · present · bound · current · object

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. present — a gift
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. wound — an injury
  5. pitch — completely
  6. object — a thing
  7. bulb — for light
  8. object — an aim
  9. present — there
  10. object — to protest
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bound — certain
  13. bound — obliged
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. bound — tied together
  17. current — electric
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. current — happening now
  22. plane — a tool
  23. present — the time now
  24. wound — an injury

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