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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 birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. current — happening now
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. perch — the fish
  6. band — a ring
  7. drill — the tool
  8. charge — electricity
  9. drill — a practice
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. charge — in control
  12. track — a song
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. current — of water
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. track — to keep track
  17. track — a path
  18. charge — a price
  19. band — a music group
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. current — electric
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. drill — army training

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