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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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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: safe · can · shower · court · current · nail · perch · ruler

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. current — electric
  3. current — of water
  4. shower — to wash
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. current — happening now
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. perch — the fish
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. court — for sport
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. can — to be able to
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. shower — rain
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. court — of a king
  22. can — a tin
  23. can — a tin
  24. nail — for a hammer

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