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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  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. foot — a measure
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. bear — the animal
  4. current — electric
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. perch — the fish
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. stock — goods
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. stock — shares
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. current — happening now
  20. current — of water
  21. deal — to handle
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. pitcher — a jug
  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