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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 116 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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. current — electric
  3. current — happening now
  4. can — a tin
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. bass — the fish
  9. can — to be able to
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. current — of water
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. suit — to fit
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. suit — clothes
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. perch — the fish
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bass — low music
  24. can — a tin

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