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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. bear — the animal
  3. pop — to visit
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. perch — the fish
  6. pit — in a race
  7. pop — music
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. face — to confront
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. bat — the animal
  13. current — happening now
  14. face — to point toward
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. chip — to eat
  18. pop — soda
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. chip — for betting
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. pit — a hole
  23. current — electric
  24. face — part of the head

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