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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. face — to point toward
  3. current — electric
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. perch — the fish
  7. current — happening now
  8. face — to confront
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. key — the most important part
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. ground — crushed
  13. key — in music
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. ground — a position
  18. mate — a friend
  19. current — of water
  20. key — for a lock
  21. mate — to breed
  22. mate — a partner
  23. face — part of the head
  24. stand — to bear

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