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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: nail · lash · chair · perch · ruler · pitch · foot · current

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. chair — a leader
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. perch — the fish
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. foot — a measure
  14. current — electric
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. pitch — completely
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. current — happening now
  24. ruler — for measuring

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