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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. current — electric
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. cap — of ice
  6. perch — the fish
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. bark — to shout
  10. press — to push
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. press — a publisher
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. current — of water
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. cap — a lid
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. press — newspapers
  23. cap — a hat
  24. pitch — completely

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