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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. bulb — for light
  3. current — happening now
  4. track — to keep track
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. current — electric
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. mate — a friend
  11. bear — the animal
  12. mate — a partner
  13. track — a song
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. race — the arms race
  16. bulb — for light
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. race — a contest
  19. current — of water
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. race — humankind
  23. mate — to breed
  24. track — a path

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