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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  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. hand — help
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. tube — the underground
  4. swing — to play on
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. track — to keep track
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. perch — the fish
  9. current — of water
  10. object — to protest
  11. hand — in cards
  12. swing — in golf
  13. swing — music
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. current — electric
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. tube — a container
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. track — a song
  20. object — a thing
  21. current — happening now
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. track — a path
  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