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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 120 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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. staff — a stick
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. row — to paddle
  5. bark — to shout
  6. ball — a dance
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. row — a line
  9. current — of water
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. ball — a great time
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. current — electric
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. staff — employees
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. current — happening now
  23. staff — employees
  24. nail — for a hammer

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