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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. current — of water
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. current — electric
  5. perch — the fish
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. current — happening now
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. hand — in cards
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. last — finally
  15. rule — a law
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. last — to go on
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. deal — to handle
  20. rule — government
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. hand — help
  23. foot — a measure
  24. last — final

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