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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: fork · perch · pitcher · current · staff · fan · hand · ball

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. staff — employees
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. staff — a stick
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. ball — a great time
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. current — electric
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. fork — in a road
  12. ball — a dance
  13. hand — in cards
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. staff — employees
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. perch — the fish
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. current — of water
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. current — happening now
  24. 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