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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. last — final
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. last — finally
  6. current — of water
  7. current — happening now
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. net — after costs
  11. net — in sport
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. charge — a price
  14. last — to go on
  15. drill — a practice
  16. perch — the fish
  17. drill — the tool
  18. net — for catching
  19. current — electric
  20. charge — electricity
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. drill — army training
  23. stand — to bear
  24. charge — in control

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