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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. toast — bread
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. track — a song
  9. kid — to tease
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. current — happening now
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. perch — the fish
  14. track — a path
  15. suit — clothes
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. current — electric
  21. track — to keep track
  22. suit — to fit
  23. kid — child
  24. suit — in cards

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