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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. current — of water
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. current — happening now
  6. roll — a list
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. roll — a cake
  13. current — electric
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. key — the most important part
  17. stem — to come from
  18. bark — to shout
  19. band — a ring
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. band — a music group
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. key — for a lock
  24. key — in music

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