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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. pop — to visit
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. current — of water
  7. bat — the animal
  8. current — electric
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. prune — to trim
  11. race — humankind
  12. perch — the fish
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. deal — to handle
  16. pop — music
  17. foot — a measure
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. prune — to trim
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. race — a contest
  23. pop — soda
  24. race — the arms race

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