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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. stand — to bear
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. pop — soda
  5. rest — what's left
  6. pop — to visit
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. ground — a position
  9. current — happening now
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. content — the amount
  12. ground — crushed
  13. rest — a break
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. tear — from crying
  16. rest — what's left
  17. perch — the fish
  18. ground — the earth
  19. tear — from crying
  20. content — happy
  21. pop — music
  22. tear — to rip
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. current — of water

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