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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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. rest — what's left
  3. bulb — for light
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. perch — the fish
  6. bulb — for light
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. rest — what's left
  9. current — electric
  10. spring — of water
  11. chip — to eat
  12. rest — a break
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. current — of water
  15. fine — all right
  16. fine — high quality
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. current — happening now
  20. chip — for betting
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. spring — a coil
  23. row — to paddle
  24. row — a line

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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