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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. fall — the season
  3. last — final
  4. cap — of ice
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. current — of water
  8. last — to go on
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. fall — to drop
  11. cap — a hat
  12. current — electric
  13. bulb — for light
  14. cap — a lid
  15. club — for dancing
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. bulb — for light
  19. club — a group
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. fall — to drop
  22. last — finally
  23. perch — the fish
  24. current — happening now

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