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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. season — of the year
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. perch — the fish
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. bulb — for light
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. land — a country
  9. band — a music group
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. land — to come down
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. current — of water
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. pound — a weight
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. current — electric
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. land — ground
  21. bulb — for light
  22. season — in sport
  23. current — happening now
  24. band — a ring

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