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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: perch · rash · file · racket · current · stock · pitch · scale

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  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. racket — for tennis
  2. pitch — completely
  3. file — a document
  4. scale — size or range
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. scale — in music
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. current — electric
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. current — of water
  12. stock — goods
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. file — a tool
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. rash — a series
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. stock — shares
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. rash — hasty
  22. perch — the fish
  23. file — a line of people
  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