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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. band — a music group
  6. row — to paddle
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. row — a line
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. staff — employees
  16. current — of water
  17. chip — for betting
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. current — happening now
  20. staff — employees
  21. chip — to eat
  22. perch — the fish
  23. staff — a stick
  24. band — a ring

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