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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 116 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 owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. rock — music
  4. ball — a great time
  5. ball — a dance
  6. current — of water
  7. squash — to crush
  8. present — a gift
  9. present — the time now
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. present — there
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. current — electric
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. stem — to come from
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. squash — the sport
  21. current — happening now
  22. rock — a stone
  23. perch — the fish
  24. fan — a supporter

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