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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 116 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 owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. current — of water
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. chip — for betting
  8. current — electric
  9. cold — not warm
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. cold — an illness
  13. perch — the fish
  14. pound — a weight
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. chip — to eat
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. current — happening now

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