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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: craft · current · board · bore · perch · wind · spell · pitch

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  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. wind — moving air
  2. current — of water
  3. spell — a short time
  4. board — a committee
  5. perch — the fish
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. board — to get on
  8. wind — moving air
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. craft — a skill
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. bore — to tire
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. pitch — completely
  16. spell — magic
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. craft — boats
  19. spell — letters
  20. current — electric
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. bore — to drill
  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