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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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. current — of water
  3. pop — soda
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. season — of the year
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. bass — low music
  12. current — electric
  13. bass — the fish
  14. current — happening now
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. pit — in a race
  17. pop — music
  18. kid — to tease
  19. pit — a hole
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. pop — to visit
  22. perch — the fish
  23. season — in sport
  24. trunk — of a car

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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