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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. current — happening now
  5. vault — a safe
  6. bark — to shout
  7. race — the arms race
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. race — a contest
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. saw — the tool
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. fine — high quality
  15. perch — the fish
  16. race — humankind
  17. rush — hurry
  18. current — of water
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. current — electric
  23. saw — the tool
  24. fine — all right

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