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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. current — of water
  3. track — a song
  4. staff — employees
  5. perch — the fish
  6. present — the time now
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. current — electric
  10. current — happening now
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. staff — a stick
  13. track — to keep track
  14. band — a music group
  15. dip — to sink
  16. present — there
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. track — a path
  19. season — of the year
  20. band — a ring
  21. season — in sport
  22. staff — employees
  23. present — a gift
  24. dip — a sauce

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