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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. current — of water
  5. charge — electricity
  6. perch — the fish
  7. rash — hasty
  8. season — of the year
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. rash — a series
  12. season — in sport
  13. charge — a price
  14. present — the time now
  15. charge — in control
  16. file — a tool
  17. file — a document
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. present — there
  20. prune — to trim
  21. prune — to trim
  22. current — electric
  23. file — a line of people
  24. present — a gift

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