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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 flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. current — electric
  4. cue — for pool
  5. spring — a coil
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. season — in sport
  9. cue — a signal
  10. season — of the year
  11. firm — steady
  12. perch — the fish
  13. cue — a hint
  14. spring — of water
  15. bark — to shout
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. current — of water
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. current — happening now
  20. firm — decided
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. rash — hasty
  23. rash — a series
  24. firm — a company

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