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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.

Make a worksheet

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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. scale — size or range
  3. can — a tin
  4. current — electric
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. kick — in football
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. current — of water
  11. current — happening now
  12. mug — a cup
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. chair — a leader
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. mug — a face
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. scale — in music
  21. can — a tin
  22. perch — the fish
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. can — to be able to

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