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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. current — electric
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. march — the month
  5. perch — the fish
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. present — the time now
  8. sharp — clever
  9. march — music
  10. current — happening now
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. present — a gift
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. march — the month
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. current — of water
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. present — there
  24. bowl — a football final

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