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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. current — happening now
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. court — for sport
  7. saw — the tool
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. court — of law
  12. saw — the tool
  13. court — of a king
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. lean — thin
  19. perch — the fish
  20. current — electric
  21. current — of water
  22. lean — to bend
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. lean — to rest against

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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