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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. drill — army training
  4. cell — in biology
  5. suit — to fit
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. drill — the tool
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. perch — the fish
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. suit — clothes
  12. cell — a phone
  13. bore — to tire
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. bore — to drill
  16. game — wild animals
  17. game — a match
  18. drill — a practice
  19. current — electric
  20. current — happening now
  21. firm — a company
  22. firm — decided
  23. firm — steady
  24. current — of water

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