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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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: wound · cue · current · mouse · kid · ground · object · perch

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. object — an aim
  3. object — to protest
  4. cue — for pool
  5. kid — child
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. current — of water
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. kid — to tease
  11. ground — crushed
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. object — a thing
  16. wound — an injury
  17. cue — a signal
  18. wound — an injury
  19. current — electric
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. perch — the fish
  22. cue — a hint
  23. current — happening now
  24. ground — the earth

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