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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  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. bowl — a football final
  2. band — a music group
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. prune — to trim
  7. current — electric
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. prune — to trim
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. perch — the fish
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. rush — hurry
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. stem — to come from
  18. current — of water
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. foot — a measure
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. current — happening now
  23. perch — for a bird
  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