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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. current — of water
  3. perch — the fish
  4. current — electric
  5. chest — a box
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. chest — of your body
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. ball — a great time
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. current — happening now
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. chest — of your body
  24. bark — to shout

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