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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bear · suit · bulb · current · perch · spring · staff · net

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. suit — clothes
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. staff — employees
  5. suit — in cards
  6. staff — employees
  7. bear — the animal
  8. current — electric
  9. staff — a stick
  10. net — in sport
  11. bear — the animal
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. current — of water
  14. perch — the fish
  15. spring — of water
  16. current — happening now
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. spring — the season
  19. spring — a coil
  20. bulb — for light
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. net — for catching
  23. bulb — for light
  24. net — after costs

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