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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. wound — an injury
  4. squash — to crush
  5. current — electric
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. bank — for money
  8. stock — shares
  9. squash — the sport
  10. perch — the fish
  11. land — ground
  12. current — of water
  13. bank — of a river
  14. wound — an injury
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. current — happening now
  17. land — a country
  18. land — to come down
  19. bank — for money
  20. stock — goods
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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