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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. last — final
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. charge — in control
  5. current — of water
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. charge — a price
  11. stock — shares
  12. can — to be able to
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. deal — to handle
  15. charge — electricity
  16. can — a tin
  17. stock — goods
  18. last — to go on
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. current — happening now
  21. current — electric
  22. can — a tin
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. perch — the fish

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