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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. current — of water
  3. mug — to rob
  4. current — electric
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. sharp — clever
  7. cap — a lid
  8. mug — a face
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. mate — to breed
  14. bat — the animal
  15. mate — a partner
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. current — happening now
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. perch — the fish
  21. mug — a cup
  22. cap — a hat
  23. mate — a friend
  24. cap — of ice

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