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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: tear · season · bulb · cabinet · ball · current · bound · deal

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. bound — certain
  3. tear — from crying
  4. season — in sport
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. bulb — for light
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. current — happening now
  9. tear — to rip
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. tear — from crying
  12. season — of the year
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. bound — tied together
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. bound — obliged
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. ball — a great time
  20. bulb — for light
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. deal — to handle
  23. current — of water
  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