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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  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. capital — money
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. stem — to come from
  4. present — a gift
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. perch — the fish
  7. fork — in a road
  8. bulb — for light
  9. capital — a city
  10. present — the time now
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. current — electric
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. sharp — clever
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. current — happening now
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. bulb — for light
  22. present — there
  23. capital — a big letter
  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