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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 flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. firm — a company
  3. firm — steady
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. firm — decided
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. current — of water
  8. dip — to sink
  9. degree — temperature
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. current — happening now
  14. degree — from a university
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. spring — of water
  17. perch — the fish
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. degree — an amount
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. current — electric
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. spring — a coil

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