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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. current — happening now
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. fork — in a road
  10. perch — the fish
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. fall — the season
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. fall — to drop
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. current — of water
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. bear — the animal
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. current — electric
  23. chair — a leader
  24. bear — the animal

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