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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. cold — an illness
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. charge — a price
  5. charge — in control
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. cold — not warm
  9. current — of water
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. current — electric
  12. charge — electricity
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. perch — the fish
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. mark — a trace
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. mark — a grade
  22. current — happening now
  23. wake — a trail
  24. mouse — the animal

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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