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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. date — the fruit
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. current — happening now
  6. pit — a hole
  7. game — a match
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. rest — what's left
  10. rest — what's left
  11. rest — a break
  12. pit — in a race
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. game — wild animals
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. wax — to grow
  17. saw — the tool
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. saw — the tool
  20. current — of water
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. perch — the fish

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