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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 120 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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. current — electric
  3. stock — shares
  4. can — a tin
  5. bear — the animal
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. can — a tin
  9. current — of water
  10. can — to be able to
  11. bound — obliged
  12. bound — certain
  13. stock — goods
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. perch — the fish
  16. chest — a box
  17. bound — tied together
  18. current — happening now
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. chest — of your body
  21. bear — the animal
  22. chest — of your body
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. bear — to put up with

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