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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. ground — crushed
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. ground — the earth
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. rock — a stone
  9. ground — a position
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. perch — the fish
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. rock — music
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. current — of water
  16. bound — certain
  17. pit — in a race
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. bound — obliged
  21. current — happening now
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. bound — tied together
  24. pit — a hole

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