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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 · fork · chest · season · perch · mark · kick · fan

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. season — of the year
  3. chest — of your body
  4. fork — in a road
  5. mark — a grade
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. kick — in football
  9. season — in sport
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. chest — of your body
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. current — electric
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. mark — a trace
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. perch — the fish
  21. chest — a box
  22. current — happening now
  23. current — of water
  24. fan — a supporter

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