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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  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. mine — for digging
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. perch — the fish
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. board — to get on
  9. current — electric
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. pop — to visit
  15. sharp — clever
  16. pop — music
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. pop — soda
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. board — a committee
  23. current — happening now
  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