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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: cap · perch · current · stick · ball · swing · rule · bay

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. cap — a lid
  3. current — happening now
  4. swing — in golf
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. current — electric
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. swing — music
  9. cap — a hat
  10. ball — a dance
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. current — of water
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. cap — of ice
  15. rule — a law
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. swing — to play on
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. rule — government
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. perch — the fish
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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