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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: ball · bore · perch · current · nail · lash · court · bat

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. perch — the fish
  3. current — of water
  4. bore — to drill
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. bat — the animal
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. court — of a king
  11. court — for sport
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. ball — a great time
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. current — happening now
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. court — of law
  22. bore — to tire
  23. current — electric
  24. ball — a dance

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