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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. game — wild animals
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. current — of water
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. perch — the fish
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. date — the fruit
  16. squash — the sport
  17. current — happening now
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. game — a match
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. mine — for digging
  22. squash — to crush
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. current — electric

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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