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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. perch — the fish
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. bear — the animal
  5. pop — to visit
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. drill — the tool
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. drill — a practice
  13. fork — in a road
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. pop — soda
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. bat — the animal
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. pitch — completely
  20. current — happening now
  21. drill — army training
  22. current — of water
  23. current — electric
  24. pop — music

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