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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. perch — the fish
  5. march — the month
  6. march — the month
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. current — electric
  10. current — of water
  11. chair — a leader
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. court — for sport
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. pop — music
  18. pop — to visit
  19. court — of a king
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. march — music
  22. pop — soda
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. court — of law

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