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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. current — electric
  3. can — to be able to
  4. current — of water
  5. prune — to trim
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. last — to go on
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. can — a tin
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. can — a tin
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. last — final
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. last — finally
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. perch — the fish
  20. prune — to trim
  21. stand — to bear
  22. current — happening now
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. sharp — exactly

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