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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 124 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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. bass — the fish
  3. bore — to drill
  4. net — in sport
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. current — happening now
  7. bass — low music
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. firm — steady
  10. cell — in biology
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. net — after costs
  14. bore — to tire
  15. firm — decided
  16. firm — a company
  17. current — of water
  18. current — electric
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. stem — to come from
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. net — for catching
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. cell — a phone

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