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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. current — electric
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. perch — the fish
  6. kid — child
  7. rush — hurry
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. ground — the earth
  10. pit — in a race
  11. fine — high quality
  12. ground — a position
  13. current — of water
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. kid — to tease
  19. pit — a hole
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. fine — all right
  22. current — happening now
  23. ground — crushed
  24. rush — a thrill

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