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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 120 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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. current — happening now
  3. bank — for money
  4. craft — a skill
  5. degree — from a university
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. bank — for money
  8. degree — temperature
  9. hand — in cards
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. current — of water
  12. hand — help
  13. bank — of a river
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. current — electric
  16. pit — a hole
  17. stand — to bear
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. craft — boats
  21. degree — an amount
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. pit — in a race
  24. perch — for a bird

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