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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: rush · toast · season · mouse · perch · current · land · march

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. rush — hurry
  4. current — electric
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. march — the month
  7. perch — the fish
  8. season — in sport
  9. toast — bread
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. season — of the year
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. current — happening now
  14. land — ground
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. land — a country
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. march — the month
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. march — music
  23. current — of water
  24. land — to come down

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