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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. perch — the fish
  6. mate — a partner
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. mate — to breed
  9. season — of the year
  10. craft — boats
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. pop — to visit
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. season — in sport
  15. pop — music
  16. craft — a skill
  17. pop — soda
  18. content — the amount
  19. content — happy
  20. current — electric
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. current — happening now
  23. vault — a safe
  24. mate — a friend

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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