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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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. scale — size or range
  4. scale — in music
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. bank — of a river
  8. kid — to tease
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. race — the arms race
  14. current — electric
  15. race — a contest
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. current — of water
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. bank — for money
  20. bank — for money
  21. race — humankind
  22. perch — the fish
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. current — happening now

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