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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 116 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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. mark — a grade
  3. land — a country
  4. current — of water
  5. land — ground
  6. current — happening now
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. key — for a lock
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. mark — a trace
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. key — in music
  13. key — the most important part
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. current — electric
  16. bass — the fish
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. face — part of the head
  19. land — to come down
  20. face — to confront
  21. bass — low music
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. face — to point toward
  24. calf — a young animal

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