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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.

Make a worksheet

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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. scale — size or range
  4. current — of water
  5. scale — in music
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. perch — the fish
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. rock — music
  10. last — final
  11. current — happening now
  12. last — to go on
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. rock — a stone
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. mine — for digging
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. last — finally
  20. chair — a leader
  21. bear — the animal
  22. current — electric
  23. bear — the animal
  24. chair — to sit on

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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