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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. march — music
  3. club — for golf
  4. march — the month
  5. rush — hurry
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. tube — a container
  8. tube — the underground
  9. perch — the fish
  10. current — of water
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. current — happening now
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. club — a group
  17. march — the month
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. spell — a short time
  20. spell — magic
  21. spell — letters
  22. current — electric
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. club — for dancing

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