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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 · pitch · spell · nail · ground · branch · patient · perch

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  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. perch — for a bird
  2. spell — letters
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. spell — a short time
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. ground — the earth
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. perch — the fish
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. pitch — completely
  13. branch — a division
  14. current — of water
  15. spell — magic
  16. ground — a position
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. current — electric
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. ground — crushed
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. branch — of a bank
  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