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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 muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. cap — of ice
  3. current — of water
  4. perch — the fish
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. current — electric
  10. cap — a hat
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. track — a song
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. rock — a stone
  16. saw — the tool
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. track — to keep track
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. rock — music
  21. pound — a weight
  22. current — happening now
  23. saw — the tool
  24. cap — a lid

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