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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: mate · current · cell · bulb · mug · fine · prune · firm

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. current — happening now
  3. mate — a partner
  4. firm — steady
  5. mug — to rob
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. bulb — for light
  8. mate — to breed
  9. mate — a friend
  10. prune — to trim
  11. firm — a company
  12. cell — in biology
  13. prune — to trim
  14. cell — a phone
  15. firm — decided
  16. fine — high quality
  17. mug — a face
  18. mug — a cup
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. bulb — for light
  22. current — of water
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. current — electric

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