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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. spell — a short time
  3. perch — the fish
  4. current — happening now
  5. track — a path
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. pitch — completely
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. spell — magic
  10. staff — a stick
  11. current — of water
  12. track — to keep track
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. staff — employees
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. staff — employees
  18. track — a song
  19. row — to paddle
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. spell — letters
  23. row — a line
  24. nail — on a finger

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