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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 116 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 owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. can — to be able to
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. current — of water
  6. pop — to visit
  7. bat — the animal
  8. pop — music
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. current — happening now
  12. can — a tin
  13. chair — a leader
  14. pop — soda
  15. current — electric
  16. can — a tin
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. object — to protest
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. object — an aim
  22. object — a thing
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. perch — the fish

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