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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. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. field — for sport
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. current — happening now
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. field — a subject
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. bulb — for light
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. field — farmland
  17. season — of the year
  18. stem — to come from
  19. current — of water
  20. perch — the fish
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. bulb — for light
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. season — in sport

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