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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 King held a masked ________________.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. drill — a practice
  3. drill — army training
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. ball — a great time
  6. charge — a price
  7. fine — all right
  8. root — of a plant
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. root — the cause
  11. charge — in control
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. current — of water
  14. root — of a word
  15. fine — high quality
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. current — happening now
  18. perch — the fish
  19. cell — in biology
  20. cell — a phone
  21. drill — the tool
  22. charge — electricity
  23. current — electric
  24. ball — a round shape

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