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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: rule · wind · bulb · pitcher · nail · pop · bass · current

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. current — of water
  5. bulb — for light
  6. wind — moving air
  7. pop — soda
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. rule — government
  11. pop — to visit
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. pop — music
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. wind — moving air
  16. current — electric
  17. bass — the fish
  18. current — happening now
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. bulb — for light
  23. rule — a law
  24. bass — low music

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