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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. current — of water
  6. scale — in music
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. current — happening now
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. perch — the fish
  11. key — the most important part
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. saw — the tool
  16. key — for a lock
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. scale — size or range
  19. key — in music
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. saw — the tool
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. pass — a permit

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