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

Word bank: current · net · march · perch · kick · stick

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. current — electric
  4. perch — the fish
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. march — music
  7. march — the month
  8. kick — in football
  9. current — of water
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. current — happening now
  12. march — the month
  13. net — for catching
  14. net — after costs
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. perch — for a bird

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