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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 is an ace ________________.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. cell — a phone
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. object — to protest
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. current — happening now
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. current — of water
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. object — an aim
  11. band — a music group
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. club — for dancing
  14. band — a ring
  15. current — electric
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. club — a group
  18. perch — the fish
  19. plane — a tool
  20. club — for golf
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. cell — in biology
  23. object — a thing
  24. plane — in geometry

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