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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. craft — boats
  5. rock — a stone
  6. rock — music
  7. craft — a skill
  8. current — electric
  9. perch — the fish
  10. drill — army training
  11. current — happening now
  12. drill — a practice
  13. track — to keep track
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. drill — the tool
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. track — a path
  20. bulb — for light
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. current — of water
  24. track — a song

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