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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. current — happening now
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. cue — a hint
  8. cue — for pool
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. ground — the earth
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. firm — a company
  14. firm — steady
  15. perch — the fish
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. firm — decided
  18. ground — crushed
  19. ground — a position
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. current — electric
  24. cue — a signal

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