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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. current — of water
  3. current — electric
  4. foot — a measure
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. bulb — for light
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. game — a match
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. content — happy
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. bulb — for light
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. stand — to bear
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. current — happening now
  17. perch — the fish
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. content — the amount
  24. stand — for spectators

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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