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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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. clip — a video
  3. perch — the fish
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. current — happening now
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. file — a line of people
  9. current — of water
  10. field — farmland
  11. root — of a plant
  12. file — a tool
  13. current — electric
  14. firm — steady
  15. firm — a company
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. clip — to cut
  18. firm — decided
  19. root — the cause
  20. clip — for paper
  21. field — for sport
  22. rush — hurry
  23. field — a subject
  24. root — of a word

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