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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 birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. mate — to breed
  3. mate — a partner
  4. current — happening now
  5. scale — in music
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. lean — thin
  8. charge — electricity
  9. perch — the fish
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. lean — to bend
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. scale — size or range
  14. charge — in control
  15. current — of water
  16. charge — a price
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. mate — a friend
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. current — electric
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. pound — a weight

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