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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 120 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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. current — happening now
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. dip — to sink
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. fork — in a road
  7. club — for dancing
  8. ground — a position
  9. club — a group
  10. rock — music
  11. perch — the fish
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. club — for golf
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. ground — the earth
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. rock — a stone
  23. current — electric
  24. current — of water

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