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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. mate — a friend
  4. pop — to visit
  5. perch — the fish
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. mate — to breed
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. bass — the fish
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. pop — soda
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. pop — music
  17. saw — the tool
  18. mate — a partner
  19. current — happening now
  20. bass — low music
  21. current — of water
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. current — electric
  24. perch — for a bird

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