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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: current · band · tube · shower · perch · mouse · sharp · ruler

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. current — happening now
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. tube — a container
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. band — a music group
  9. current — of water
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. band — a ring
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. perch — the fish
  15. shower — rain
  16. sharp — clever
  17. shower — to wash
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. tube — the underground
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. ruler — a monarch

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