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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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. current — happening now
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. wound — an injury
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. bass — low music
  11. perch — the fish
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. rash — a series
  14. band — a ring
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. rash — hasty
  17. current — electric
  18. wound — an injury
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. craft — boats
  21. craft — a skill
  22. current — of water
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. bass — the fish

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