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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. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. deal — to handle
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. present — a gift
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. present — there
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. current — electric
  18. current — of water
  19. cold — not warm
  20. perch — the fish
  21. present — the time now
  22. current — happening now
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. pitcher — a jug

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