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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. object — a thing
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. cue — for pool
  7. rest — a break
  8. perch — the fish
  9. current — of water
  10. cue — a signal
  11. rest — what's left
  12. rest — what's left
  13. current — happening now
  14. band — a music group
  15. content — the amount
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. object — an aim
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. band — a ring
  21. cue — a hint
  22. content — happy
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. object — to protest

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