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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.

Make a worksheet

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: land · rule · perch · chair · stand · mark · current · bass

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  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. current — of water
  2. perch — the fish
  3. current — electric
  4. chair — a leader
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. land — to come down
  7. land — ground
  8. land — a country
  9. mark — a grade
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. rule — a law
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. bass — the fish
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. bass — low music
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. mark — a trace
  21. stand — to bear
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. rule — government
  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