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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. plane — a tool
  4. fine — all right
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. fine — high quality
  7. perch — the fish
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. drill — army training
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. drill — a practice
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. current — electric
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. drill — the tool
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. current — happening now
  18. roll — a list
  19. roll — a cake
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. racket — for tennis

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