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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 116 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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. current — of water
  3. hand — help
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. cue — for pool
  6. kid — child
  7. hand — in cards
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. perch — the fish
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. kid — to tease
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. cue — a signal
  16. cue — a hint
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. chair — a leader
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. current — electric
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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