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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 120 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 birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. can — to be able to
  3. current — happening now
  4. perch — the fish
  5. rush — hurry
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. current — of water
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. scale — size or range
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. bore — to drill
  13. bore — to tire
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. bass — the fish
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. current — electric
  19. mine — for digging
  20. bass — low music
  21. can — a tin
  22. can — a tin
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. scale — in music

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