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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 birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. hand — in cards
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. staff — employees
  5. wound — an injury
  6. court — of a king
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. court — for sport
  9. court — of law
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. staff — employees
  14. current — happening now
  15. perch — the fish
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. wound — an injury
  20. staff — a stick
  21. current — electric
  22. hand — help
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. current — of water

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