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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: perch · fork · hide · staff · race · roll · current · land

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. staff — employees
  3. current — electric
  4. staff — employees
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. roll — a cake
  7. race — humankind
  8. current — happening now
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. current — of water
  14. staff — a stick
  15. land — a country
  16. race — the arms race
  17. perch — the fish
  18. race — a contest
  19. land — ground
  20. roll — a list
  21. fork — in a road
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. land — to come down
  24. roll — on a roll

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