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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. perch — the fish
  3. row — to paddle
  4. bulb — for light
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. bulb — for light
  9. current — electric
  10. stock — goods
  11. current — of water
  12. scale — in music
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. row — a line
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. stock — shares
  18. mug — a face
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. current — happening now
  22. scale — size or range
  23. mug — a cup
  24. scale — for weighing

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