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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. track — a song
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. track — a path
  5. drill — a practice
  6. current — of water
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. drill — the tool
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. foot — a measure
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. track — to keep track
  14. saw — the tool
  15. current — happening now
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. perch — the fish
  19. saw — the tool
  20. drill — army training
  21. bark — to shout
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. mouse — the animal

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