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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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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 · safe · wind · perch · racket · calf · mate · mark

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. wind — moving air
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. current — electric
  7. mate — a partner
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. wind — moving air
  11. mark — a grade
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. mark — a trace
  16. mate — a friend
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. perch — the fish
  19. mate — to breed
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. current — happening now
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. perch — for a bird

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