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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. current — electric
  3. court — of law
  4. court — for sport
  5. current — happening now
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. perch — the fish
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. drill — a practice
  10. current — of water
  11. object — a thing
  12. deal — to handle
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. object — an aim
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. court — of a king
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. object — to protest
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. drill — army training

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