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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. current — of water
  3. face — to point toward
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. key — for a lock
  6. club — for dancing
  7. face — to confront
  8. kid — to tease
  9. kid — child
  10. land — to come down
  11. key — in music
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. current — happening now
  14. key — the most important part
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. perch — the fish
  17. land — ground
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. face — part of the head
  20. sharp — clever
  21. land — a country
  22. club — a group
  23. current — electric
  24. club — for golf

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