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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. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. perch — the fish
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. charge — electricity
  5. charge — in control
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. field — for sport
  9. game — wild animals
  10. field — a subject
  11. charge — a price
  12. current — happening now
  13. current — electric
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. game — a match
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. field — farmland
  20. current — of water
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. hide — to keep secret

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