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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. stand — to bear
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. net — after costs
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. present — the time now
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. pop — to visit
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. perch — the fish
  13. dip — to sink
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. net — for catching
  16. current — electric
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. present — a gift
  19. pop — music
  20. current — of water
  21. net — in sport
  22. current — happening now
  23. present — there
  24. pop — soda

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