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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. ground — a position
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. present — a gift
  5. current — of water
  6. spell — letters
  7. spell — magic
  8. present — there
  9. current — happening now
  10. present — the time now
  11. ground — the earth
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. cap — a hat
  15. spell — a short time
  16. stem — to come from
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. cap — of ice
  21. ground — crushed
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. cap — a lid
  24. kick — in football

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