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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. tear — to rip
  3. current — happening now
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. tear — from crying
  6. rock — music
  7. rock — a stone
  8. rest — a break
  9. date — the fruit
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. current — of water
  12. firm — a company
  13. rest — what's left
  14. court — for sport
  15. firm — steady
  16. firm — decided
  17. rest — what's left
  18. current — electric
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. court — of law
  21. tear — from crying
  22. court — of a king
  23. perch — the fish
  24. date — on the calendar

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