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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 had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. stem — to come from
  5. spell — a short time
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. game — wild animals
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. current — electric
  13. game — a match
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. drill — army training
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. drill — the tool
  18. perch — the fish
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. spell — letters
  22. current — happening now
  23. current — of water
  24. spell — magic

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