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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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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: sharp · current · perch · cap · pound · drill · board · mate

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. perch — the fish
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. current — of water
  5. cap — a hat
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. current — electric
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. pound — a weight
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. mate — a friend
  13. drill — army training
  14. board — to get on
  15. drill — a practice
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. mate — to breed
  18. cap — a lid
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. board — a committee
  21. drill — the tool
  22. cap — of ice
  23. sharp — clever
  24. current — happening now

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