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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. mate — a partner
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. current — of water
  5. club — for golf
  6. saw — the tool
  7. current — electric
  8. rush — hurry
  9. mate — a friend
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. club — a group
  14. net — for catching
  15. bulb — for light
  16. net — after costs
  17. bulb — for light
  18. club — for dancing
  19. mate — to breed
  20. saw — the tool
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. perch — the fish
  24. net — in sport

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