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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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468
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 · pass · bulb · can · mate · shower · pitch · pop

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. can — a tin
  3. shower — to wash
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. mate — to breed
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. can — a tin
  9. pass — a permit
  10. pitch — completely
  11. current — happening now
  12. pop — music
  13. current — electric
  14. current — of water
  15. mate — a partner
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. pop — soda
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. bulb — for light
  21. can — to be able to
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. mate — a friend
  24. shower — rain

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