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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. mate — to breed
  3. current — electric
  4. mate — a partner
  5. key — for a lock
  6. charge — electricity
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. key — the most important part
  11. charge — a price
  12. perch — the fish
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. key — in music
  15. current — of water
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. current — happening now
  18. plane — a tool
  19. charge — in control
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. mate — a friend
  24. snap — to click

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