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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. rock — a stone
  3. mark — a grade
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. perch — the fish
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. file — a document
  8. vault — a safe
  9. clip — a video
  10. current — electric
  11. current — happening now
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. file — a line of people
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. clip — for paper
  18. mark — a trace
  19. rock — music
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. file — a tool
  22. clip — to cut
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. rock — to move gently

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