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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. sharp — clever
  4. current — electric
  5. spell — a short time
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. pop — to visit
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. pop — soda
  12. spell — magic
  13. perch — the fish
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. can — to be able to
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. can — a tin
  19. pop — music
  20. spell — letters
  21. current — happening now
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. can — a tin
  24. sharp — with an edge

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