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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. march — the month
  3. tube — the underground
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. key — the most important part
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. rock — a stone
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. current — of water
  15. current — electric
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. tube — a container
  18. current — happening now
  19. march — the month
  20. rock — music
  21. key — for a lock
  22. key — in music
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. march — music

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