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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 120 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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. current — electric
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. wind — moving air
  5. pop — soda
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. pop — to visit
  9. wind — moving air
  10. perch — the fish
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. net — in sport
  14. current — happening now
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. net — for catching
  18. drill — army training
  19. net — after costs
  20. pass — a permit
  21. current — of water
  22. drill — the tool
  23. drill — a practice
  24. pass — to succeed

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