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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. mark — a trace
  7. current — happening now
  8. rush — hurry
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. lie — to recline
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. rule — government
  16. rule — a law
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. capital — money
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. current — electric
  21. mark — a grade
  22. perch — the fish
  23. current — of water
  24. capital — a city

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