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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  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. rock — to move gently
  2. rock — music
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. perch — the fish
  5. object — to protest
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. object — an aim
  9. fork — in a road
  10. current — electric
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. foot — a measure
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. current — of water
  16. dip — to sink
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. rock — a stone
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. object — a thing
  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