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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. object — to protest
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. current — happening now
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. current — electric
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. track — a path
  12. mark — a trace
  13. perch — the fish
  14. wake — a trail
  15. object — a thing
  16. capital — money
  17. track — a song
  18. mark — a grade
  19. track — to keep track
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. current — of water
  22. capital — a city
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. object — an aim

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