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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: ball · bulb · bat · game · bark · pit · safe · current

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. ball — a great time
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. bulb — for light
  8. ball — a dance
  9. current — electric
  10. pit — in a race
  11. current — of water
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. game — wild animals
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. pit — a hole
  16. bat — the animal
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. game — a match
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. current — happening now
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. bark — to shout

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