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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 birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. current — electric
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. squash — the sport
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. perch — the fish
  8. tube — a container
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. pitch — completely
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. present — there
  15. squash — to crush
  16. present — a gift
  17. present — the time now
  18. current — happening now
  19. tube — the underground
  20. current — of water
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. tube — in a tire

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