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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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. last — finally
  3. staff — employees
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. staff — employees
  6. drill — army training
  7. last — to go on
  8. drill — a practice
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. stock — shares
  12. current — happening now
  13. current — of water
  14. roll — a list
  15. last — final
  16. stock — goods
  17. chest — of your body
  18. current — electric
  19. chest — of your body
  20. drill — the tool
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. perch — the fish
  23. staff — a stick
  24. roll — a cake

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