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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 have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. mug — to rob
  5. shower — to wash
  6. scale — in music
  7. mug — a face
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. mug — a cup
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. current — happening now
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. foot — a measure
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. rock — a stone
  18. perch — the fish
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. scale — size or range
  22. rock — music
  23. current — electric
  24. shower — rain

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