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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. perch — the fish
  3. current — happening now
  4. fine — all right
  5. press — newspapers
  6. fine — high quality
  7. cell — a phone
  8. current — of water
  9. press — to push
  10. current — electric
  11. press — a publisher
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. land — ground
  14. land — to come down
  15. bulb — for light
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. land — a country
  20. cell — in biology
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. bulb — for light
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. fan — a supporter

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