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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. current — electric
  3. club — for dancing
  4. club — a group
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. suit — to fit
  7. shower — rain
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. current — happening now
  11. hand — help
  12. perch — the fish
  13. shower — to wash
  14. hand — in cards
  15. suit — in cards
  16. current — of water
  17. club — for golf
  18. suit — clothes

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