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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. wound — an injury
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. pound — a weight
  6. pit — in a race
  7. sharp — clever
  8. object — an aim
  9. wound — an injury
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. current — happening now
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. current — of water
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. pit — a hole
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. current — electric
  21. perch — the fish
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. object — a thing
  24. bear — the animal

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