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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 116 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 birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. current — of water
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. pound — a weight
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. perch — the fish
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. stock — shares
  11. stock — goods
  12. board — a committee
  13. spring — of water
  14. bank — for money
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. spring — a coil
  18. bank — for money
  19. spring — the season
  20. bank — of a river
  21. current — happening now
  22. stem — to come from
  23. board — to get on
  24. perch — for a bird

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