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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. ground — a position
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. current — electric
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. mark — a grade
  8. bark — to shout
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. rock — a stone
  11. cue — for pool
  12. current — happening now
  13. rock — music
  14. cue — a signal
  15. ground — the earth
  16. perch — the fish
  17. spell — magic
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. current — of water
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. mark — a trace
  22. ground — crushed
  23. cue — a hint
  24. spell — letters

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