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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.

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: bulb · press · perch · wound · pitch · current · mate · staff

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. press — a publisher
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. pitch — completely
  5. staff — employees
  6. wound — an injury
  7. mate — a partner
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. staff — a stick
  11. press — newspapers
  12. current — electric
  13. staff — employees
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. perch — the fish
  17. mate — to breed
  18. mate — a friend
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. bulb — for light
  21. press — to push
  22. bulb — for light
  23. current — of water
  24. wound — an injury

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