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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. current — electric
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. current — of water
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. rush — hurry
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. press — newspapers
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. foot — a measure
  16. press — to push
  17. row — to paddle
  18. current — happening now
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. press — a publisher
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. row — a line

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