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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. current — electric
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. current — happening now
  5. can — a tin
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. tube — the underground
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. tube — a container
  12. perch — the fish
  13. can — a tin
  14. bore — to drill
  15. current — of water
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. can — to be able to
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. bore — to tire
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. kick — in football

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