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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. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. tear — to rip
  3. current — happening now
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. march — the month
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. scale — in music
  8. tear — from crying
  9. charge — electricity
  10. tear — from crying
  11. march — the month
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. perch — the fish
  15. scale — size or range
  16. current — electric
  17. current — of water
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. march — music
  20. charge — a price
  21. charge — in control
  22. row — to paddle
  23. row — a line
  24. perch — for a bird

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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