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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. bat — the animal
  5. bank — for money
  6. scale — size or range
  7. current — electric
  8. date — the fruit
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. bank — for money
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. season — in sport
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. current — of water
  17. season — of the year
  18. perch — the fish
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. bear — the animal
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. bank — of a river
  23. bear — the animal
  24. scale — in music

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