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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. current — happening now
  4. firm — a company
  5. roll — a list
  6. perch — the fish
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. bound — certain
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. season — in sport
  13. current — of water
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. season — of the year
  16. bound — obliged
  17. bound — tied together
  18. firm — steady
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. firm — decided
  23. current — electric
  24. patient — a sick person

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