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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. key — the most important part
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. current — electric
  7. swing — in golf
  8. wind — moving air
  9. key — in music
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. perch — the fish
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. spell — a short time
  16. swing — to play on
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. key — for a lock
  19. current — of water
  20. swing — music
  21. wind — moving air
  22. spell — magic
  23. spell — letters
  24. jam — a tight spot

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