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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. kid — child
  4. perch — the fish
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. current — happening now
  7. object — an aim
  8. current — of water
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. sharp — clever
  14. object — a thing
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. kid — to tease
  19. object — to protest
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. current — electric
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. wind — moving air
  24. wind — moving air

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