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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. current — happening now
  5. pass — a permit
  6. perch — the fish
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. bulb — for light
  9. chip — to eat
  10. cap — a hat
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. wake — a trail
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. chip — for betting
  15. bank — for money
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. current — of water
  21. current — electric
  22. cap — of ice
  23. cap — a lid
  24. bank — of a river

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