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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. mug — a face
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. bat — the animal
  8. bore — to drill
  9. current — electric
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. mug — to rob
  13. stock — shares
  14. mug — a cup
  15. vault — a safe
  16. current — happening now
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. current — of water
  19. stock — goods
  20. bore — to tire
  21. perch — the fish
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. plane — a tool

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